It first began with hearing about the corona virus through my friend Luka over some fried chicken one January evening. At first, I was in disbelief and thought it was comedic when he told me that every thing would shut down, and life would change “forever”.

Flash forward a year and a few months later. He was right. My life, your life, and probably everyone in between has had their life shifted – for better or for worse.

March twenty-twenty, I was thriving. I was working at the best job I’ve had, I was wrapping up my five-year long journey of university, and I was living in the sweetest little home right in the center of heaven with my best friend and our angel baby cat, Olive. My social life was at an all time high, I was discovering what I did and didn’t like about myself, and I was flying through my days in a optimistic light.

Not everything was perfect, of course. My dating life was lowering my mood, the lack of a proper bedroom forced boundaries between Hope and I, and I was inundated with anxiety at every waking hour. But, beyond this, I still look back at the time leading up to the 11th of March as an experience of ecstasy, growth, and happiness.

Changes don’t always come in the most pleasant way. Sometimes, they arrive at your door with a u-haul full of baggage, begging to intrude on your precariously balanced life. They rip apart all that you have worked tirelessly to carefully curate and create for a life you thought you wanted. Change doesn’t say please, thank you, or excuse me. In fact, change is the rudest awakening you will encounter in a life of peace and quiet. Sometimes, you just want to yell a myriad of curses and slam the door.

But then you remember – change isn’t the enemy.

Change is just growth, strength, love, and experience masked.

The real enemy is in your mind, and tells change to fuck off. The ego, which envelopes itself within the fabric of your mind, is your biggest challenge. Acceptance and drive are the best antidotes for the ego’s diseased ethos.

I decided to stop playing victim to the changes that berated me, and instead I chose to embrace them. All of it -graduating university, losing a job I loved, moving cities, losing friends. I decided to give in to the gifts that came my way when I started looking for the good, instead of lamenting all that was lost.

I found love.

I found boundaries, healthy friendships, and deeper connections.

I found that I don’t love working a job for money, and that I love working for fulfillment of my spirit.

I found walks with my dogs, playtime with my cat, and a deeper admiration for the natural world.

I am finding me.

This year has been the greatest gift for my personal growth. And I am still growing. That is not to minimize the tragedy and negative impacts of Covid-19, which are still in effect and are still spiraling the world through multiple changes. This is just my story, and I never will forget it.

Here’s to deeper compassion, intentional living, and embracing life’s surprises!

M.