Thanks Leading To Tenacity
By: Lilly Bojic
My life has brought me very many blessings that I am thankful for, including my friends and family, opportunities to grow, learn, and make a difference. More than anything else, I am grateful to be surrounded by special, loving, caring and supportive people in my life who have given me strength, support, encouragement, and guidance to grow and succeed.
Without them, I would not be who I am today.
My family was there for me every step of the way, though hard times and humbling beginnings. We moved to the United States in 1998 as refugees and had to start our lives all over. Leaning a new language, raising twin girls, and going back to school to get a license to practice Physical Therapy in the USA took a lot of hard work, sacrifice and perseverance. My family was the only support I had at that time. With me in PT school, we had one income to share. A run down, refugee community with leaky roofs and rat-infested backyards was our new home. While I had to spend countless nights studying, my husband worked hard to support the family. My mother moved from Serbia to help take care of our twins while I was attending graduate school. My gratitude for their support extends beyond what words can describe. Their gift of resilience, understanding, and unconditional love is something I cherish each day.
Everyone should have a special friend and a wise mentor, and I was lucky enough to have both. These special friends invested their time in me, gave me their attention and support, and provided me with advice no matter how big or small my problem was. I was encouraged, guided and pushed forward, challenged to change, encouraged to persist and improve. I’ll always know I have someone to catch me when I fall, to listen when I need to be heard, and to call or text in the middle of sleepless nights. My success would not have been possible without this help.
No one can succeed alone. My team is filled with individuals who share the same values and work ethic, who are passionate about helping others, and who yearn to learn and grow. My team is strong and unafraid to walk the extra mile when it comes to patient care. They work hard, and put others needs before themselves. For them, I am endlessly thankful and proud.
I can’t help but be filled with excitement at the thought of what the future holds. I will continue counting my blessings and I will do it often. Gratitude helps us remember and focus on what we have. It makes us realize that what we have might be enough, and helps us accept the past to make sense of it. Gratitude creates hope for the future and helps us feel content and happy today. Thank you all for helping me become who I am today.
