Lucky.

Over the past few weeks, my mother has slowly started to share the story of the road leading up to my birth with me.

It's... awe-inspiring, really. After each piece of the tale, I can't help but think -- God must have a true purpose for my life. It's the same feeling I got after surviving the car accident back in 2009 -- There's a reason I'm still alive... God's not done with me yet.

I should never have been born. Countless doctors told my mother that she would never be able to conceive, but each time, a door would open and my parents would find the one doctor who was able to help them.

Everyone told them to give up; to just adopt instead. They considered it... but my mother never gave up her determination that she would one day hold a child of her own in her arms.

My mother experienced several miscarriages prior to my conception. Each time, it was a reminder -- You will never give birth to a child. But she persisted, going from doctor to doctor in search of procedures, surgeries, etc, that would allow her to bear a child.

And then they found out she was pregnant with me. She had to have more procedures done and was put on bedrest. Finally, she went into labor, but after laboring for hours and hours and hours without progression, and after I began to show fetal distress, my mother had to undergo an emergency cesarean section.

I survived. And that was one of the reasons my parents gave me the middle name of "Grace" -- literally meaning "the grace of God." But for God's grace, I would not be here.

It's really weird to understand such a thing. I really do feel like one of the luckiest people alive, because I survived. And I have continued to survive since then.

My parents couldn't protect me from the most difficult experiences of my pre-adult life, just as they couldn't protect me from the car accident in 2009 that should have killed me. But what they have done is given me the tenacity and strength to survive whatever comes my way.

It is a great blessing and a reminder to me that I have a unique and important purpose in life.

My grandmother always told me that I was famous at a young age...
apparently this newspaper clipping is what she meant! ;)