I was recently asked what were the high points in my life... Graduating from college? Absolutely. The day I married my husband? Definitely. The births of my two girls? Most certainly. Those are given milestones.
I, however, thought about it and after a split second went in the opposite direction - yeah, I know, who would've thought...
I looked back, and considering the question, thought of the lowest points in my life, and they became my answer. Why, you ask? Because it is the lowest points in our lives that teach us some of the most valuable lessons.
I have certainly learned from the happy times - the reward of achieving a goal, the satisfaction of doing something special, the lessons of marrying and living with the man who walks by my side, and the absolute purity of the love I have for my two children.
But the lessons that have largely molded me into who I am today are the ones that have come from adversity.
Learning that the love of my early adult life had finally decided to take a chance with someone, and learning that someone wasn't me after 20 months of an intense, emotional, platonic relationship and profound friendship, taught me that I can build my life after devastating heartbreak.
Leaving medical school after intense study and a race to get admitted to a highly competitive program taught me that I'm stronger than I think I am.
Having to uproot my life, leave my country, my friends, and the comfort of my mother's arms taught me that I can rebuild my life from the lowest point, where hope rarely visits.
Giving up on the dream of becoming a doctor - a dream born when I was 11 years old - taught me that sometimes the path you think you are destined to follow isn't the path you are meant to follow.
Watching my best friend go through the horrendous pain of losing a child taught me about the depths of friendship, compassion, and the power of faith.
Every experience took a little from me and replaced it with something else. We become who we are through the lessons we learn in life; and through the most difficult times and the choices we make, we emerge a new person.
So, when you think of the highlights in your life, think also of the low points and the hardships you've overcome that have made you who you are today.
