Adversity Adds To Me

“This poem was written after I attended a Brookdale Hospital cancer support group meeting that was facilitated by my co-worker in 2018. While reflecting on the tendency to be depressed about chronic illnesses and mental health challenges in general, I thought about how powerful affirmations can be, and how potent optimism can be in the face of what seems like insurmountable hurdles.

Our diagnoses don’t define us.

About nine months after I wrote the poem, I survived a stroke, brain aneurysm hemorrhage, coma, and seizure. I spent a few months at home recuperating and was able to return to work.

Adversity ADDED to me, indeed! It added grit, determination, hope, and confidence that delayed doesn’t mean defeated... defeated doesn’t mean destroyed!”