Serena - bright smile

A few weeks ago, I was having a hard time adjusting to my new reality to overcome a health issue that has severely changed my life. First, let me summarize the health challenge I have been dealing with. I began having strong vertigo, dizziness, and imbalance followed by strong migraines about 3 and a half years ago. I was diagnosed with vestibular migraine, which means I would never be completely cured of this but learn how to live with. Not until recently, I was also diagnosed by an audiologist with something called vestibular neuritis, which means I can actually overcome all the vertigo, dizzyness, and imblance, and improve the migrane effects. This was good news, and I began treatment right away with medicine and physical therapy for dizzyness. The medicine didn't go well, I felt all side effects, but fortunately physical therapy has been working well. This is an important context about the physical therapy: Basically, physical therapy helps me try to do movements that I have been avoiding since the first attacks of vertigos and dizzyness. This part is annoying because I have been restringing myself for so many years that I lost confidence to move as I used to. It was as I had trained my brain that if I do certain head and body movements, it should activate vertigo, dizzyness, or imbalance, with or without migraines. And now with physical therapy, I have to go agaisnt this habit or get out of my comfort zone, and try to move a few times to each direction that causes me any vertigo, dizzyness, or imbalance,feel them, and let them go. According to therapists, it will teach my brain to connect with the nerve that was sore, and tell that it's safe to move without triggering dizzyness and all. That's the part where I wanted to reach and highlight such a warming moment I had, a few weeks ago. I think it was on Tuesday or Wednesday. I know it was after Monday(when I usually do physical therapy). I was having a hard time to endure the tiredness that comes from migranea, dizzyness, and nauseous. However, as I was feeling sad and emotionally discouraged to begin the dizzyness exercises, my toddler Serena approached me with her usual happy face and bright smile. I couldn't not notice her light affecting me immediately. It was one of those moments that I was able to both enjoy her presence in the middle of my struggle, and comprehended the gift that Heavenly Father gave when sending her to me. I needed her at this moment of my life! I quickly wondered how would my life be like without her at that very moment that I was having difficulty to do the exercises to overcome dizzynes and all changes to improve my health. The answer was clear. I would not have her beautiful face and smile to brighten my life. I would have missed such a graceful way to be encouraged to try again. She helped me recover the strenght to keep trying improve my health. What was once discouragement and helplessness, became gratitude and courage upon seeing the joy of baby Serena's smiling face.

My school assignment about my first changemaker: Suzana

The changemaker I would like to talk about is my oldest daughter. Here is something I wrote about her: 1- When she wants something she goes after it. She is consistent, intelligent, and a driven person. 2- I have to struggle to exercise and do therapy, so she is an example for me of someone that is determine and follow through her goals. 3- She made a great impact in my life since she made me a mother. Because of her, I had to change a lot of bad habits in order to be a better mother. 4- She inspired me to be a better mother, I improved my healthylifestyle, and improved my spirituality as well. I could talk about each of my children, since they all came and impacted me somehow. I learned with each of them. But I chose to talk specifically about Suzana because she is the oldest, the first that gave way to my personal improvement, and she has consistently being an inspiration for me throught her life. Some examples of her personality and impacts: When I began teaching her how to play piano, at age 4, she received the task, trusted in her parents, and practiced. She did it so well that very soon she advanced and began playin piano better than me. Years later, she wanted to learn how to do split, because of her ballet classes. She created a plan of exercises, and she consistenly trainned everyday to achieve this. After this, she wanted to use ballet pointe, and with practice she also achieved this. When I decided she would be homeschooled, she accepted the challenge, and she basically homeschooled herself. My husband and I had only guided her curriculum, but she made it happen everyday, with focus, planning, and following through. She has become a woman, decided to study abroad and applied to the whole process herself, moved to another country by herself at age 17 to attend college, and she is now serving a mission. She has to lead some missionaries, and I am proud of the work she has been doing. About my live presentation, and slide part: Can you expand on the fact that she is a changemaker for me because of impacting my life right from the beggining when she was born. On that moment, I felt I was her whole world, and I felt the heavy responsibility on my shoulders of helping her become a good citizen to this world. Right that, at that moment, besides that burden, I also felt the motivation to change myself first in order to be the closest human example for her of how to live her life. Somethings she inspired me to do include overcoming my childhood traumas, search healing from past experiences, so I could give myseld into motherhood with a health mindset, following my instincts, and really guide her. If not, if I hadn't work on myself first, I couldn't have taken a good care of her. Can you also include that while a teenager, she became very aware of the importance of taking care of herself. She learned how to make health food, and became insterested in Yoga. Nowadays I also practice yoga because of her dedication to the practice. She inspires me to be brave, happy, and calm.