You Might Wake Up Tomorrow and Everything Will Change

Last week was Hailey's senior chorale concert. As part of the evening, each graduating senior was recognized for their accomplishments, shared their plans for next year, and offered a few words of advice to the students who will follow them.

It was one of those bittersweet parent moments. You spend years driving them to practices, helping with homework, worrying about tests, celebrating victories, and navigating disappointments. Then suddenly you're sitting in an auditorium listening to people talk about what comes next, wondering how on earth eighteen years went by so quickly.

As the seniors took turns sharing their advice, I heard many of the things you would expect. Work hard. Get involved. Don't be afraid to try new things. Enjoy the experience because it goes by fast.

Then it was Hailey's turn. Her advice was, "Live your life. You might wake up tomorrow and everything will change."

I immediately felt tears welling up in my eyes. I looked over at Anna and could tell she was having the exact same reaction. Hailey was emotional. Her friends were emotional. Before long, there were tears throughout the auditorium.

Most people probably heard a thoughtful piece of graduation advice. Our family heard something much deeper.

We heard the voice of a young woman whose life did, in fact, change overnight.

Several years ago, Long COVID entered our lives and changed the trajectory of what we thought Hailey's teenage years would look like. Like many families dealing with chronic illness, we found ourselves navigating a maze of doctors, uncertainty, setbacks, and questions that often didn't have clear answers. There were moments when progress felt painfully slow and moments when it seemed like nobody truly understood what she was experiencing.

What struck me as I listened to her speak last week was how much wisdom can emerge from experiences we would never voluntarily choose.

Most teenagers aren't thinking about how quickly life can change. They are thinking about prom, graduation parties, college applications, friends, and summer plans. Hailey has certainly thought about those things too, but her journey has also forced her to develop a perspective that many adults don't acquire until much later in life.

She understands that good health is not something to take for granted. She understands that plans are fragile. She understands that there are seasons in life when simply getting through the day requires courage that other people cannot see.

Yet what I admire most is that she has not allowed those experiences to make her cynical. Instead, they have made her compassionate.

This summer, we will be traveling to DC for new experimental blood infusions treatment that has shown improvement in many long-covid patients. If the treatment is successful if will be repeated monthly. The treatment is not painful or invasive, just about 8 hours of combining healthy blood with Hailey's blood to help her body repair some of the small nerve damage causing her pain which should help her stamina and chronic fatigue. Now that we have found the right people to help us (after our journey of over 50 doctors) we are grateful for Hailey's medical teams and the hope they have given us.

And this fall, she plans to attend TC3 and Ithaca College, pursuing studies in health sciences and clinical care. Her goal is to help people living with Long COVID and other conditions that are often misunderstood or overlooked. That decision didn't come from reading a brochure or taking a career aptitude test. It came from lived experience. It came from knowing what it feels like to need answers, support, and understanding.

As parents, we spend a lot of time hoping we are teaching our children something useful. Last week, I was reminded that sometimes they end up teaching us.

I have found myself thinking about those nine words ever since. Not because they are pessimistic, but because they are honest. The truth is that none of us know what tomorrow holds. We assume there will be more time. More opportunities. More chances to make the call, take the trip, have the conversation, or pursue the thing we've been putting off.

Sometimes there is. Sometimes there isn't.

That reality can feel frightening, but it can also be clarifying. It reminds us to stop postponing joy. It reminds us to be present with the people we love. It reminds us that life is happening right now, not someday when everything is finally organized, calm, and under control.

As I watched Hailey standing on that stage, I wasn't thinking about the challenges of the past few years. I was thinking about the remarkable young woman she has become because of them. I was thinking about her strength, her empathy, and her determination to turn a difficult experience into a way of helping others. And I was thinking about how proud I am to be her mom.

BGPD Rule #119: Don't wait for perfect circumstances before you start living. Life is uncertain for all of us. That's not a reason to be afraid. It's a reason to be present.