Destiny, fate, luck, fortune...are they real? Everyone has been told at least once in their life that "Everything happens for a reason" but is this true? Some people may react to this idea with anger, hope, or confusion. I guess it kind of depends on the situation. for example, when tragedy strikes the phrase "Everything happens for a reason" is probably the last thing anyone wants to hear. It doesn't make us feel any better and in my opinion it can even be mistaken for dismissive.
And yet...there are beautiful things that come into our lives so unexpected. There are people, animals, opportunities, and even missed chances that steer us onto a new and exciting path in life. There are so many decisions we make every day that lead us to meet new faces and push us onto a specific path. Whether we know it from the beginning or not there are things that happen exactly how it is suppose to. However, no one tells us about creating our own fates. Unless you count the classic "when life gives you lemons make lemonade". In all seriousness though, it is hard to tell when things are meant to be and when we have to make something out of it ourselves. My mother was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and went on to create and do something for the community. She wanted to provide a safe place for people who have felt the same pain and fear she has. She wanted to take care of people and create something new out of what was a very scary and life changing experience. I remember her telling me she felt like she was "suppose to do something" with her experience. Before W.A.Y.S was born she looked at me and said "I don't know what, but I know this happened for a reason and I am suppose to do something with this." I was incomplete shock. How did she know? How could she be so certain? Instead of being mad or scared she felt confidence in herself to create, build, and help so many others like her.
I bring this up today because I am so proud of not only what my mother has created but also for what each and every one of you will do in life. It's very okay to be mad and scared and down on yourself at times. But life has a plan. Even if we don't know what the plan is there is something bigger happening all around us everyday. Regardless of what our beliefs are we have to trust that our lives create a chain reaction and what we do matters. For myself, As a young W.A.Y.S blog coordinator I hope to contribute so much more in the future to this growing non-profit. I recently became an in-home care giver at Eden's Home Health Care which I never even had thought about doing. Not because I didn't have an interest in it but because I thought I was years away from being qualified for such an amazing opportunity. But hey, there's a plan right? And my plan for now is to continue to grow in the medical, social work, and psychology field and help develop W.A.Y.S into something that will encourage and provide comfort for people in their hardest times.