Little Did I Know

Dear Concussion Legacy Foundation,

I took it for granted.

Being athletic,

Enjoying school,

Hanging out with friends,

Going on vacation,

All of it.

But one play at a softball game changed everything.

I watched as my life fell apart.

Like a scene in a movie,

I watched and couldn’t change any of it.

How can an invisible injury have such severe consequences?

Each day dragged on with the same outcome.

A 2 day recovery became 2 weeks, then two months,

Then 2 years.

Headaches became migraines,

Neck pain became debilitating,

And I,

I became hopeless.

I lay in bed thinking “why me?”

Why do I have to suffer,

I did nothing to deserve this ongoing pain.

Looking back,

I’m glad it was me.

Little did I know,

That eventually I would recover.

Little did I know,

This was going to make me stronger than I could ever imagine.

Little did I know,

This was going to make me more compassionate than I could ever imagine.

Little did I know,

That my family would become closer than I could ever imagine.

Little did I know,

A concussion would shape me into the person I am today.

Sincerely,

Kayla Smock