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.