Not the Same

I found the following photo that was taken over two years ago.  I remember when this shot was taken, I was looking out my window from my house and watching the dogs run in the yard.  It was a serene moment and I loved how at peace I felt, even with the chaos that my ex was putting us through.  This is not the same woman, my face has changed a little.  After I had had my surgery, I remember looking in the mirror and crying, first, my face was so bruised and swollen.  Second, I told the nurse that I would not have chosen the eyes that were given to me, I had a little bit of a face lift after my brain surgery.  It is funny now, but at the time I did not look the same, and certainly did not feel the same; as if a small part of me had died.  It has definitely been a process, but God certainly gave me strength to continue.  Sometimes, I wonder why He gave me this life, and then I realize because He gave me gumption!  Yes, a lot has changed in my life.  Good or bad, life is life.  Yes, again, I am not the same physically or in any other way.   I am accepting things in my life that will never be the same and that's okay. . . .

Photo taken August 2012

(Before aneurysms)