Life is full of surprises. Just when you think everything is going perfect according to plan, a big change happens and it will turn your life upside down. I welcomed 2014 with a lot of joy, excitement and a long list of goals and things to do. I had my eye on the big prize – the bright future ahead of me. But little did I know that this was not going to happen. I was actually about to experience the biggest shock of my life.
On January 7th of 2014, I received a call from home (I was working in Dubai while my family was in the Philippines) telling me that my mom was rushed to the hospital and in a coma. Of course, I had to rush home with hope in my heart that she will recover. Fast forward to 2016, she still hasn’t able to regain her consciousness. Due to the brain damage, she remained in a vegetative state.
Because I am the eldest and given that I am also a Nurse, I had to take the responsibility to take care of my mother. I packed my life in Dubai and went back home. I had my life there – a stable job, best friends, relationship… but all these, I had to turn my back to.
Despite of all the problems and hurdles that I continue to face every day, there’s one thing that keeps me going – hope. Yes, I know how hard it is to hang onto hope when life starts to become overwhelming. But I encourage you to dig through the rubble of your life and try to find hope again.
Hope will ignite you and empower you to forge ahead. It will lift you up and give you the confidence that you will be able to surpass any challenge that is about to come your way. I know that I will survive the trials. In time, everything will pass and that I will be rewarded for all the hardships.
If you are reading this and you are feeling hopeless in life, don’t. Never lose hope. Not even an ounce of it. You need to keep moving forward, one step at a time. Eventually, everything will become easier and much clearer. Everything happens for a reason and one day, you’ll be able to understand why.
Remember, you were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.
