Wonderful and thoughtful thread, SuperFemme!
After my injury, where/when my life was altered... I did realize the "gift" of/from it. It took A LONG time though, and I was quite ill for awhile.
One good thing, I had been at odds with my parents my whole growing up life for being queer and quite feisty about it! Once that accident happened, that all came to a screeching halt,
from them. I was "alive". That was all that mattered to them!
Then, from that happening I was able to come back into this area and "be there" for my parents once they got up in years. We have long since become best friends. They became winter snowbirders for several years, (post retirement), and I was able to help them get to and from Arizona.
Imagine being able to say that you had the experience of going across country many times with your parents? (Well, might be normal for some, but I would have never guessed that!) And they were so grateful for the help. To me, that is a beautiful part of our "journey" together...
And Bit (MDC here) I did have a spiritual component [post injury] that happened to me. I am definitely what is known as a "sensitive". Many have
experienced similar things from my type of injury, which was closed head (well, and spinal injury as well). If I told some folks some of these things, they simply would not believe me - or just be plain spooked! LOL!!
But, just being sensitive in general is a very wonderful thing. I've mostly done hospice volunteering (to "give back"), and I love it - difficult as it may seem. I feel like I was meant to be there/here in this capacity for folks. I am very strong this way (normally, I do have my exceptions). And it's been mostly friend's of who I grew up with, their parents and family members that I have tried to help out, be there for and with. It's like I took my world experience working and getting hurt then, and brought it home - to be able to share.
OK, enough for now!
PEACE AND LOVE TO ALL!
Wild
*Oh, I will say, that "my injury" expedited things such as OCD, being a reclusive, etc... I really haven't looked at that as being "differently abled", although I know it is. (I just haven't made a full direct connection to myself that way.) Some was "pre-morbid", I know. So, I have kept them separate, mostly. But, they are interconnected... and disabling. I have to constantly fight this.