I have many scars. I was an active kid – or clumsy. I have fallen off mountain bikes on to cacti.  I haven’t landed every jump taken while snowboarding. I stabbed myself with a sharp pencil that was in my back pocket while playing volleyball – I still have the pencil colored stab mark on my arm. Oh, and there was that scootering accident in Positano, Italy. There are lots of scars and many stories behind each one, but today is the 20 year anniversary of crashing a car and going through a windshield.

I wish I could remember all of the details. I really don’t remember and can’t recall what happened before and can only remember what happened after – when the paramedics woke me up from blacking out.  I remembered covering my head with my favorite shirt and the noise that paramedic made when he first saw my facing hanging down. I really thought that I was going to be snowboarding the next day. I almost died that day – here’s how I wrote about it 10 years ago.

My head went through the windshield. I fractured my forehead.  Had glass on the eyeballs. I also fractured the frontal sinus – which they explained to me was a bone that held the brain in on the opposite side of the sinus cavity.

There were many other injuries and stitches, and it seems like so long ago – but I am still here.  I have many things to be thankful for.  It’s been an interesting 20 years so far since the accident.  I feel fortunate to wake up every morning because there is this sense that this is all extra. I heard many times in the hospital how lucky I was and how I shouldn’t have made it – but I’m still here.

Today, I am thankful to be here. Life is not perfect and there have been many potholes along the way as well as accomplishments and victories. I have failed at many things, but have also succeeded in other things. I am not perfect, and I’m glad that this life doesn’t require that. I have so much to be thankful for.

Family – I love my family, and I’m so thankful for all of you. My family continues to grow.

Friends – I am blessed with many friends. New ones. Old ones. Some are gone. Some are no longer in my life, but I’m thankful for the friends along the way and continue to journey with me.

Feelings – I can’t feel anything on my forehead because of the accident which a brain injury like this might have really jarred the head in such a way that I can’t really even fully process my emotions – but I still feel things and can feel every where else.

Future – I may not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. There are some immediate challenges and I am sure that there will be future challenges, but I am here. I keep pushing forward, and I am sure that God will continue to bless.

Faith – I have Jesus and that’s enough. He knows I’m not perfect. He’s blessed me with so many things. So what more do I need when He can be everything that I need. That makes it all worth it.

So today I just celebrate being alive. I choose Joy. I will focus on the fact that I am alive today, and it’s been a good 20 years since the accident.  I am thankful for all that I have and all that God will continue to do in my life, and I’m definitely thankful for all that journey with me.

I know that you might have your scars too. I have many others, but today, I celebrate this one. Thanks for reading, and celebrating with me.