Two sides of the same picture. The day after. ❤️🩹
On the left I am reminded how small Bridger was, still too young to see how harsh the world can be. More importantly, I still see that person he has always been on the inside – an old soul, thoughtful, innocent, and calm. He never lost that spark of enthusiasm for learning and life.
The right half tells a different side of the same story. On the outside we see a person torn and battered. Someone who survived an unimaginable challenge. The swelling adds years to his face. I lament that he had to grow up and confront mortality at such an innocent age. I see the determination of a warrior.
The two sides together tell his story, a contrast and balance between who he was and the spirit of a fighter. Bridger doesn’t see himself as a victim, defined by his scar or traumas. We celebrate his resiliency.
It has been said: “Come what may, and love it. . . . [E]very life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don’t sing and bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result.
How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think . . . that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think . . . that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.
If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.” -Joseph B. Wirthlin
#BridgerWalker #resilience #BridgerStrong #ComeWhatMay #Hope #growthmindset #strengthbeforeweakness #joyinthejourney
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