"New Steps" by Eleanor Guilford

My life is positively full of new steps in this season. I have graduated high school and am in the throes of moving on to college life. While this is complicated for the regular graduate, it seems to strike up a different tone in the heart of a CFer. It’s really bittersweet. We know that my life is a blessing, but some with this condition don’t get this chance. My parents were told very early in my life to raise me with the intentions of moving on and being a productive member of society. Now that it is actually here, it seems heavier than just moving on. I get to take a step that past generations of CFers may have never been able to take. Adulting can be difficult, but is also a blessing when viewed with this unique perspective! Although through any perspective, these Walgreens calls being my responsibility now is just plain odd. 

Getting back to the topic at hand, this season calls for new steps that are scary but essential. CFers are so blessed, so I encourage you, readers, to never forget that. As we take new steps in life, be thankful for the opportunity to take this leap of faith. We are seeing medicines past generations of CFers had never seen! Even opportunities and stages of life they had never seen! It is easy to get caught up in the negatives of the situations we face on a daily basis. I know that from experience. However, remember that with each breath (although not always the best one) is a blessing. It is a chance to be grateful and then do something with that gratitude. I feel blessed to be able to have the chance to be independent and further my education. 

In the future, when you are inevitably faced with the possibility of a new step or leap of faith, take it. Take it because you have the opportunity to, and because you were fortunate enough to live in a time of advanced medicine. Share the hope you have been given, and the perspective you have developed, because it is unique! Our world needs a taste of that at the moment. Essentially, make every breath count!