My Crowne

The crown grew heavy long before I knew its name. It wasn't forged in gold or crowned with earthly fame. It came the day a fragile vein gave way inside my brain, and in a single breath, my life would never be the same.

One moment I was making plans as though tomorrow was assured; the next, I stood where time was still, uncertain and obscured. A level four brain aneurysm became the line that life would draw, dividing all I'd ever known from everything I ever saw.

I once believed a crown was won Through battles and trials that were hard to overcome. A victor's prize, a shining claim, The symbol of hard earned glory that now adorns their name.

I never knew some crowns descend, when one stands tall with deep wounds to mend. Some crowns are placed upon a wounded soul, fashioned not from precious stones but from a life made whole.

It wasn't resting on my head the day my body fell; it found me when I rose again with a deeper story to tell. 'That's when I learned that survival carries a weight all its own, every borrowed breath reminds me that not every life becomes grown.

and

At first, I thought the weight I bore was nothing more than fear. It lingered in the silent hours, until the truth grew clear.

Every headache held a memory; and silence spoke my name. Every mirror showed my image though my thoughts were not the same.

I questioned why I still remained while others slipped away, why I was granted one more dawn to greet another day.

The crown never answered back; it simply chose to stay, could I learn the balance of life which is teaching me that lessons are learned every day.

Slowly, I began to notice how the weight had changed its form. It wasn't there to destroy me but encourage me through the storm. It taught not to count my years but to treasure every breath, because no one truly understands the gift of life like one who has looked into the face of death.

My sunrise felt much warmer, a child's embrace much more sincere, and simple words like "I love you" carries meaning crystal clear.

The ordinary became extraordinary, the unnoticed became profound, and blessings once overlooked I began to notice all around.

Now when the crown grows heavy, I no longer ask it why. I now seek my strength while lifting my head to the sky.

Not searching for an explanation, nor wishing things had been another way, but grateful for the quiet grace that carried me through that horrific day.

The crown reminds me life is fragile, yet purpose can endure, It whispers that tomorrow isn't promised, only this moment is secure.

So I wear it with humility, with gratitude instead of pride, because every step I take today is special because I didn't die.

Perhaps that's what a crown has always been not a reward for what we've done, but that we found unshakable faith during the storm knowing we would see the sun.

Maybe it's the gentle weight we carry after surviving what should have been our end, quiet reminder that every heartbeat is a gift we could not earn, every sunrise a mercy we did not deserve, and every breath an invitation to live more deeply than before.

Mine is not a crown of royalty; it is a crown of remembrance. It reminds me that I almost died, but by the grace of God, I'm still here and still live.