Celebrating Milestones…

I guess it was a milestone two decades in the making. A moment I really felt like celebrating & sharing!

So naturally, I showed the video to the people closest to me (my sister and a close friend).
But their reaction shocked me – it definitely wasn’t the, “Go Em!” I’d been expecting. Instead they said –

“Maybe don’t post that on social media, Em…” My sister warned

“Yep, NDIS will have a field day!” My friend echoed her concern 

I understood what they meant & that their concern only came from genuine care. But inside, I was so gutted.

Here I was, elated about something that took twenty years of rehab, grit, pain, patience, and effort… and suddenly the elation and big sense of achievement was replaced with fear about how it might look to the NDIS.

As if a shaky, slow, completely unsafe climb up three steps with no hand support somehow means I can suddenly easily do stairs!

To be sure, I went for another opinion, my mum’s.
She cautioned: “They’re right, Em. You don’t want to jeopardise your funding.”

And yes, I understand that the scheme can be pretty tough at times.  But the idea that I shouldn’t share my own progress because it might be misinterpreted really frustrates me.
It does NOT sit comfortably with me at all.

Celebrating my milestones is a big part of how I have survived this journey. It still is how I continue to survive!

Not hiding or downplaying them so they’re “NDIS safe.”

So… here it is. My big, shaky, hard-earned, twenty-years-in-the-making milestone. I CAN walk up stairs.

Yep, I admit it’s a very wonky & slow attempt. I know that I’m really unsafe. I’m very aware that it’s not functional (I‘m not about to lug my grocery bags up the stairs). Plus if you asked me to do it again tomorrow, I doubt I could repeat it. I know I need support to do it ( incase another needs to call an ambulance!)

But stillI did it. And that is worth celebrating I think.

I am always aiming to educate and create awareness in everything I do. I want to empower others to persist in their own rehab and show how important it is to celebrate achievements, even when they seem tiny. You know, for years, I held back from sharing my progress because I worried people might judge me, or think what I was celebrating wasn’t “big enough,” or “impressive enough” I wrote in my book earlier in my journey –

“My iPhone beeps, signalling that I have a text. ‘Congrats on doing that walk, Em.” I smile and force myself to soak up the praise. To sustain motivation and remember to keep challenging myself is tough, especially when often I don’t see a huge change in my performance. Many of my achievements are hard to celebrate. They were once so easy and are seen as a cinch to many around me. When you’re continually trying to keep up with others it’s hard to allow yourself time to stop and evaluate your achievements. Quite often I respond to others’ congratulations sarcastically, failing to acknowledge the milestone. Instead I just keep going, striving for the next thing on my bucket list.I admit to feeling a bit hard done by when an accomplished task is not recognised. I know that I have to announce this achievement, even though it seems like I’m bragging. As time has passed, and people’s priorities have become so different to mine, it’s even harder to get their attention. My achievements can easily float by unacknowledged” Reinventing Emma, p.233

So I guess it’s those small wins are what keep the rehab journey moving forward.They give everyone involved hope. They give everyone motivation and remind us all that progress is happening, even if it’s slow & messy. I know sharing my progress helps me stay motivated and simultaneously educates everyone me.

And maybe, just maybe, simply sharing your wins encourages someone else to keep going too.

Are there achievements you’ve made that feel too small? Or not worth celebrating in your personal or professional life? What’s something that you want to celebrate but are a bit scared too?