Enduring the profound loss of both my mom and dad in my 20s and facing a life-threatening brain aneurysm in my 30s, which left me deaf in my left ear, wasn’t easy. The COVID-19 pandemic and other factors took my job, adding to a series of setbacks that once drove me to the brink of giving up. Losing my dad was my lowest point, making the thought of continuing without him unbearable.
Despite the hardships—struggling to walk after my surgery, losing my hearing in my left ear, and wrestling with overwhelming sadness and anger—I learned the importance of acceptance. For years, I sought solace in smoking and alcohol to avoid facing the reality of my situation. The memories of my parents, along with the love and support of my family and friends, became my beam of hope. They reminded me that I owed it to myself and to my parents’ dreams to forge ahead. “Your dreams will take you far,” they would say, and I chose to believe them.
Grieving is an essential process. It’s about allowing yourself to feel every emotion and, in its own time, finding the strength to move forward. Support and help are out there, sometimes in places you least expect—it’s just a matter of opening your eyes to see it. And through it all, trusting that there was a greater plan for me was my northern light.
As Nelson Mandela said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Connect with Karen Diaz: karen.diaz@poolpartycreatives.com.ph