Just before 8th grade I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I was very active in sports and other activities in middle school, and I planned to continue playing sports in high school.
When I got diagnosed with arthritis, I thought all my future plans were gone. There were mornings I struggled even putting my hair in a ponytail because my hands and joints hurt so bad. I was bound and determined to get through this setback, and that’s exactly what I did.
I started taking medicine and learning my limitations, and I graduated as a three-sport athlete. This past September I completed my first half-marathon, and I’m training to run another one in May. Looking back to 8th grade, there’s no way I saw myself accomplishing such a crazy thing. Yet, here I am.
No matter who you are, be you. No one is better at being you than you are. You were born exactly the way you are for a reason, and there’s nothing you should try to change.
Living every day how you want to live it, and not worrying about what others think, is the easiest step to a happier life.
This is something I try to live by in every moment.
