Today when this email hits your inbox, my 19-year old daughter, Katy, will be in surgery getting her hip replaced. Because of an infection 12 years ago, she has developed arthritis and has very little cartilage left to cushion the joint. This new titanium hip will restore her body to its youth and allow her pain-free movement once again.

When we first received the news that a hip replacement would be the doctor’s recommended course of treatment, I bawled my eyes out. But not Katy. My daughter beamed from ear to ear! When I later asked her why she was so happy, she replied by saying “The worst-case scenario would be if they told me there was nothing that they could do to help me. They have a plan to fix me.” Katy was able to look at the situation she was given and find the bright side. She was grateful for the opportunity to be treated and looked at the surgery as a way to better empathize with and relate to her future patients once she’s a nurse.

I think there is a lesson here for all of us to learn. Developing an infection at age 7 and needing a hip replacement at age 19 were circumstances no one could have predicted for my daughter. Instead of dwelling on the odds or the cards dealt, she has chosen to look at what she can learn and be grateful to have found a fix and an amazing surgeon to help her.

We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it. With many bumps along the road, the most powerful thing we can do is choose to enjoy the journey with our loved ones.

I am really inspired by my daughter’s positive outlook on this whole ordeal, and I carry that forward with me as I navigate COVID-19 and it’s eventual effects.

I hope that you can too.