I’m telling this story because it’s testament to the transformative power facing one’s mortality can have in discovering the true essence of life, and finding purpose.

The weight I'd carried for years – the hurt, the anger, the constant push and pull of family expectations – began to lift. In its place grew something new: Acceptance.

This was a moment of profound connection – with nature, with myself, with the very essence of being.
In that instant, I knew. This was my new beginning.