Fast Forward to January, 2023
…it ended abruptly! I won’t say it was easy. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’ve pushed four babies out of myself! The decision to leave the drilling program in 2018 was sudden and stressful. I quit the job, the university degree and I almost allowed it to change me totally. It only takes a few really awful, horrible people to make you start to question your validity, your knowledge, your passion, your very essence. And it’s unfortunate these very few people seem to deafen you to the really, really great people…..
So without any details, it was awful. But I survived! Then our world was thrown into a pandemic. I would question if anyone has not changed in some way during the last three years. We are all scarred in some way, altered, our view on life constantly threatened and the importance what we hold dear has been questioned. What was once important and vital is put on hold, some dreams never to be looked upon again. But humans are resilient and with a lot of help and support from each other we find a new normal amidst the new year. I am no where close to the same person I was in 2018. But my essence remains.
I revisited my veterinary nursing career and decided for the very last time that I do not belong there. We supported a daughter through VCE in the midst of the pandemic (proud parent moment – she’s now studying Astrophysics at Swinburne University!). We navigated the moving on of our two eldest sons (one moved out to embark on a career in Youth Welfare Work, another achieved his lifelong dream to study Paramedicine), and our youngest son has surprised us by choosing a VCAL path rather than VCE (it suits him so much better!). We all got Covid and survived although my experience was made rather complicated with a small TIA (in layman’s terms a small stroke) resulting in a long recovery and a semi-permanent palsy on the right side of my body. It has allowed me more than enough time to reflect on mistakes, failures but also strengths and lessons learned.
My essence remains…..
I decided to remain The Girl Who Fell In Love With Rocks. I rekindled my passion, granted without a lot of the official titles and requirements. This world is based on passion and it’s relevant necessities will need to be prioritised in order to achieve any goals. But for now my essence remains. I am the Girl Who Fell In love With Rocks. I just needed a reboot so to speak!
I am hugely blessed to be in the position where I can make choices without it affecting anything. I have no one truly dependent on me anymore. Freedom is something I knew eventually would come, it just took me a while to see that the time is now! I have the luxury of time to think about what truly brought me happiness, contentment and passion. And now I begin to navigate the courses of living with these essences of who I am. I still have purpose. I still remain necessary and important. I have a lot to offer. I just need to make sure I utilise these resources in the right way. I may be capable of doing many things but not all these things nurture my essence.
I am The Girl Who Fell In Love With Rocks! And so the adventure continues…..