To the people who take life for granted,
There is so much that people take for granted from the food on their plate, the house that they live in, the people in their life, the clothes that they wear, their opportunities to learn, their health, etc. I commend people who are consistently grateful for everything that they have.
I personally believe that the issue lies in the fact that people dwell on what they lack or do not have and they do not take the time to appreciate what life has already given them. Avery Monet, a 17 year old originally from Michigan who now resides in Florida, lives every moment of her life to the fullest, treasuring every single day.
One day, I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and a picture of this smiley, giddy girl came up. I did not really think anything of it, and I admired her pretty smile. Then, another day I was scrolling, and I saw that my friends were sharing her stories again and again, so I read one. In the post, she cheered about the fact that she was active on the transplant list for a bilateral double lung transplant. She was beaming! Here, I see this girl who is going to receive two lungs that are going to make her stronger and healthier, and I start to think about how so many people (including me) get so excited over plain, old material goods. I felt selfish.
Avery getting her nails done a couple of days before the call with the good news. Photo courtesy of Avery Monet.
Avery has been living with Cystic Fibrosis since she was born. Some of us hate to gain one pound on a scale while Avery wishes that she could gain one pound or at least maintain her weight. A lot of us are agitated when we have a cold and our noses are stuffed up, while Avery (pre-transplant) coughed up mucus all day, ran a fever 24/7, and was at 20% lung capacity or less. While we count down the days until our cold lingers away, Avery has been on her journey to breathe as she recently had a bilateral double lung transplant in February.
This picture was taken a couple of days after the transplant. Photo courtesy of Avery Monet.
I asked her about her outlook on life and how she continues to keep a smile on her face through the rocky roads. She states, “My choice began at a very early age when I realized that this was something that was going to be a part of my life forever. I could either be miserable and let it consume me and take over me, or I could have a positive outlook and accept what I can’t change. Therefore, I choose to live my life with a smile on my face whether or not I feel well because life is too short and you never know what tomorrow may bring.”
Avery’s beautiful smile. Pictured with her dad, Danny. Photo courtesy of Avery Monet.
What is amazing, is her outlook has stayed the same. Now that she is post-transplant, she takes approximately 40-45 pills every single day. She will take all of these pills for the rest of her life and she cannot miss one.
Her advice for those who are having trouble in life is very inspirational.
“My advice for people struggling with any type of adversity is to be happy and silly about the stupid, small things because it is what gives me a little ounce of joy everyday. For example, it is as simple as me eating a fully loaded baked potato or making a silly face at my dad; it makes me laugh and smile. I know everyone always says do not worry about the little things, only the big things; but, in my opinion, I find it easier to not think about the big things all of the time so that I can cherish the small moments. If I think about being cut open and about [the doctors] taking my organs out of my body, I will go nuts. Also, try and focus on being present in life and not worrying about the future all the time. I choose to live my life in the moment with no regrets.”
Avery with two of her aunts. This was about two weeks after the surgery. Photo courtesy of Avery Monet.
Emily Levin is Avery’s best friend since they were three years old. She describes Avery as “the strongest, most optimistic person in the whole world. She doesn’t let anything knock her down, especially her disease. When I say she inspires, she really inspires me. She has taught me to always be positive and to never give up because God only gives you challenges you can handle.”
Avery and her best friend, Emily. Photo courtesy of Emily Levin.
I think that we can all learn a thing or two from Avery. Avery is a girl living with Cystic Fibrosis and a smile on her face.
As told by Avery’s favorite quote, “We don’t know how strong we are until being strong is the only choice we have.”
Follow Avery’s journey to breathe on Facebook.
