THE LOWEST POINT
The knee injury I sustained severely impacted my mobility and my ability to work. This led to a financial crisis, exacerbating my already difficult situation. The pain was a constant reminder of my limitations, and the financial strain added to the emotional burden.
I still could not fathom that my right knee was damaged and that the surgery would take almost a year to heal, and I would not be able to work normally. I was limping, and my posture was horrible.
The physical attributes that I was so proud of were suddenly a memory.
My self-confidence was shattered, and I stopped listening to music. Every evening, my refuge would be to sit on the balcony and listen to sad songs and cry. I hated everyone. WHY ME ?
It was in these moments (Low Period) recognizing the importance of finding light even in the darkest of times, that I decided to write my autobiography, 'View From My Balcony (Life Lessons By Rachel)'.
I wanted to share my story of resilience, of overcoming adversity, to show others that even when fate seems overwhelming, we can find the strength to persevere and create a life filled with purpose and meaning.
My aim was to motivate others to look at their lives, no matter how difficult, from a perspective of hope and to find the miracles that are present even in the smallest of things.
At that moment, I had no clue where my life was heading. But I had a clear resolution in mind: one day, I would write my autobiography. I had come a long way from being a child, to a teenager, to an adolescent, to a young woman, and finally embracing motherhood. It is not just mine but every woman’s journey.
I believe all women who have conquered and elevated themselves in life, be it in their career, in managing a home, or in any life endeavors, deserve an award for simply being the women that they are .
I was not daunted or intimidated by society; I simply walked tall through the journey of my life with heroic strength and confidence.
" Many a times our life boat was tossed over by the storm of sea but we kept going did not stop as we knew these mere distraction Our Destination is yet to come”
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COPING WITH STORE CRISIS AND HEALTH ISSUES
My husband and I faced significant challenges when circumstances made it impossible to sell our store in Deland. During this difficult time, we bought another gas station cum convenience store in Kissimmee.
Managing both stores was out of the question because of the hour-long driving distance between them and the restrictions I had due to my knee surgery.
My knee wouldn't straighten despite hours of physical therapy and exercise. The damaged cartilage needed replacement, and in hindsight, a knee replacement would have been a better decision.
But everything happened so suddenly that there was hardly time to contemplate the best course of action.
For a month, I was in a wheelchair before gradually transitioning to a walking crutch. It was the most depressing period of my life. The constant knee pain and financial stress were tearing me apart, both physically and mentally.
With no family or friends to support us, I wondered how anyone could cope with such a life calamity?
With a heavy heart, we decided to shut down the Deland store bearing the brunt of losing our capital investment.
Everything that we built financially to this point we lost within a matter of days.
It was the most depressive period of our lives and I could see in my husband’s eyes the sadness and grief he experienced inside, frantically searching for options. We were both helpless and our fate rested in the hands of destiny.
Buddha Quotes : helped me reignite the flame to hope and pray.
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly."
"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things, not meant for you
With a glimmer of hope and tireless determination we decided to wipe our slate of life clean and restart. We learned a long time ago to make the best of whatever life tosses. We never had a choice before and we did not have a choice now. We were both treading down a turbulent road not knowing where our fate would take us.
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