If there is one thing my right eye has taught me since my stroke, it’s that often life requires an extraordinary amount of maintenance just to keep things functioning.
When people think about recovery, they often imagine a point where the hard work ends and life returns to normal. What they don’t see is the endless and quiet maintenance required to sustain what you have achieved.
My right eye is the perfect example of this.
Over the years, I have lost count of the procedures, appointments, and treatments it has required. I’ve had multiple surgeries, gold weights implanted, tear duct plugs and a corner graft. And all of these procedures require ongoing care of eye drops, goggles, eye patches and countless visits to specialists.
There was a time when I believed each new procedure would finally solve the problem once and for all. Instead, I’ve learnt that sometimes there is no permanent fix, but only ongoing management of the situation.
Today was another one of those days. And it’s hard not to feel disheartened when these days happen again. The truth is, caring for my eye has become a part-time job I never applied for. It consumes my time and energy constantly.
I continue on with the treatments though because I’m trying to preserve what matters to me; my vision. This is so closely tied into my independence and quality of life.
And I’ve come to realise that this lesson extends far beyond my eye. Many of the most important things in life require ongoing maintenance. Relationships need nurturing, health requires constant attention, fitness disappears if we stop moving and even happiness needs tending to and care.
We often celebrate the big achievements but we rarely acknowledge the quiet, repetitive work required to sustain them. There is unseen effort and daily decisions that nobody applauds us for.
Sometimes the outcome isn’t perfect and despite our best efforts, things still break down. There are setbacks, disappointments, and frustrations. But the alternative is giving up on something that matters. So tomorrow, I’ll put in the eye drops again and continue to invest my time and energy into my eye care. Because to me, it is so important that I maintain my eye sight, even if it’s not going to be perfect.
“That’s where resilience lives. Not in perfection, but in persistence!”