There Will Be a Positive Outcome

As we hit the milestone of 18 years since the day that changed all of our lives forever, we are filled with both sadness and excitement. (For those of you who do not know the beginning of our story you can catch up here.)

My Dad, Kelly, was paralyzed from the neck down in 1997 – I was 5 years old. I spent my kindergarten year traveling back and forth from the hospital and rehab centers which were about 4 hours away from home. This was just the start of a long journey. We lived in Minnesota only one year after the accident before we made the move to sunny Arizona to be out of the snow and close to my Mom, Corina’s, family.

The last 18 years have molded our family into the people we are today. Although we are not “thankful” for our situation, we acknowledge that every day spent in our situation is better than one without my Dad, or worse, one where our family isn’t as close as we are. I am thankful to have had both of my parents greet my sister Kristen & me as we came off the school bus each day. They were very active in our lives and raised us to put God first, family second, everything else third. As dysfunctional as we were/are, all four of us have a bunker mentality – we will stop anything and everything to make sure each other are taken care of.  

From someone who was raised in an unconventional family I would like to leave you with one thought.  

Life doesn’t always happen exactly how we’d imagine it to be. The circumstances we face, we don’t face for no reason. In the midst of your struggles have faith that there will be a positive outcome and persevere until you can see its beauty.

I believe, with no doubt, that my Dad was paralyzed not as punishment for drinking and driving but because his life was meant for more. He encourages every single person he meets.  From random tourists traveling through town to business owners, from people in isolated situations to successful husbands and wives that seem like they have it all together – Kelly is a friend to all and is an inspiration to everyone who meets him.
Next time life tries to knock you down, think about Kelly and how he has to see the good in each day despite his cruel and endless circumstances. How are you going to persevere today with a great attitude?

Kaitlynn

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