Alive Day

I've been reading about this. Alive Day is a special day with significance for military veterans that experience a close escape from death. It’s typically the anniversary of a nearly fatal battle injury and celebrating it can help survivors reframe negative events into an annual day of triumph.

I think lots of people (me included) would do well to learn how to reframe negative events that occur in our lives. Michelangelo once said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set it free.” Reframing the marble, changing it from a large metamorphic rock into a remarkable work of art? Maybe the negatives in my life haven’t been as traumatic as what the members of our military face. I still have all my limbs and I have never faced the stress and trauma of war. Maybe I don’t need an Alive Day exactly, but I like the sentiment. I've already started keeping a jar of positive things that I can look back at to lift my spirits and count as blessings at the end of 2013, but an idea like Alive Day goes one step further by inviting a survivor to find new positive opportunities from the changes occurring due to the impact of the negative event, any negative event. I wouldn't need that jar if there weren't any negative events in my day to day life.

The next thing Alive Day got me thinking about is my brother-in-law who is fighting his own battle against cancer. His life has definitely changed direction. Can he reframe the recent loss of his leg into a victory? He is a survivor and the date of his amputation was near the date of his birth so maybe his personal Alive Day and his birthday can be combined to have a new meaning, a rebirth without the cancer. He faces a year of challenges with physical therapy and learning to walk with a prosthetic. And we know he will want to drive again. His journey to his first Alive Day has just begun. His triumph has brought him closer to his family and faith and given him a glimpse of the strength that exists in those bonds, a strength that will help sustain him on his journey. He’s an inspiration and we are all looking forward to seeing him celebrate his first Alive Day and many more thereafter.