Few of the beach photographs that many women share on social media become viral. Thousands of people shared a coastal photo that a lady had uploaded of herself in a bathing suit quite rapidly, and it’s understandable why the image went viral when you saw it in its entirety.
Aimee Copeland hasn’t always felt at ease with her body, like many women do, and she has good cause to be uneasy. According to Cosmopolitan, the then-24-year-old graduate student at the University of Georgia, who was pursuing a master’s degree in psychology, met a horrible end in May 2012 when she and her companions hopped onto a makeshift zip line they discovered in a Carrollton, Georgia, creek. Regretfully, Aimee’s appearance would be permanently altered by the accident.
The zip line, which was compared to “not much more than a dog wire with handlebars,” broke during Aimee’s second turn. Aimee told People that she suffered a serious gash on her calf after colliding with the jagged rocks below. Unfortunately, the young woman did not realize at the moment how arduous the path ahead would be for her. Aimee was sent home after having her wounds treated with 22 surgical staples, but she couldn’t get rid of the sensation that “something just didn’t feel right” in her leg.
Aimee woke up three days later with blood blisters on her left leg. She couldn’t speak, and oddly, her tongue was “shriveled up in her mouth.” Naturally, Aimee was hurried to the hospital to obtain clarification. There, a very rare flesh-eating bacterial illness known as necrotizing fasciitis was identified in her medical history. If left untreated, this illness can swiftly become lethal.
Aimee’s body was being severely damaged by a life-threatening illness, therefore all of her limbs were amputated in an attempt to preserve her life. It worked, but the young woman lost her right leg, left foot, and both hands, leaving her permanently and badly scarred. But instead of succumbing to the natural deep melancholy that such awful circumstances would bring on, Aimee made the decision to fight for her life and never give up.
“I refused to allow anything to impede my progress. Aimee clarified, “There’s always hope for tomorrow and that enduring impulse to keep trying and never give up.
Aimee shared details of her arduous and protracted recuperation on social media; nevertheless, certain aspects of her story proved more challenging to disclose than others, including pictures displaying all of her amputations and scars. Years after her accident, nevertheless, she made that precise decision. Aimee shared a happy photo of herself while on vacation in Puerto Rico to commemorate her journey of body acceptance and love.
Aimee, wearing a two-piece bikini, grinned for the camera while exposing every inch of her body, including her scars and amputations, in an effort to encourage people to embrace their bodies for what they are, warts and all.
Aimee wrote, “It has taken me a long time to become comfortable with and accept my new body,” as the photo’s caption, reassuring everyone that their bodies are ready for the beach no matter how they may appear. “There is great beauty in our defects because we are all made flawed. Character is developed by the skin grafts and scars! What matters most is what you do with what you have; possessions are not as important as actions.
According to Metro, Aimee Copeland started her career as a public speaker and an advocate for people with disabilities following her devastating zip-lining accident, which resulted in amputations. She still serves as an inspiration to others through her social media posts and public speaking engagements, more than ten years after her injuries. Apart from her advocacy work, Aimee chose to study for a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of West Georgia, demonstrating that no matter what unfortunate events we encounter, we can still achieve success and realize our aspirations.
Aimee clarified, “I’ve let go of the girl I was before.” “I’ve accepted who I am in its entirety.”
Kudos to this young lady for being a multifaceted inspiration. Aimee not only radiates unending optimism in the midst of extreme hardship, but she also serves as a reminder to all of us that we can accept our flaws and find beauty in the distinctive forms that make up our bodies. She also shows that, if we have the proper mindset regarding our difficulties in mind, we can work hard to overcome any challenge we may encounter. She triumphed against tragedy, and we can too.
All My Life My Father Blamed Me for My Mother’s Passing, Then He Gets Taught a Lesson – Story of the Day
I grew up believing that my father blamed me for my mother’s death but the truth was heartbreaking.
I never knew my mother, and my father never spoke about her. All I knew was that she had been very beautiful, because of the picture that hung on my father’s study wall, and that she had died very young.
My father was a sad man, a quiet and distant man. I wanted him to notice me, and to love me, but he never did. He rarely spoke to me beyond the perfunctory hello and goodbye, good morning and goodnight. I would have given anything for him to sweep me into his arms and tell me he loved me.
The shadow of my mother’s death followed me my whole life | Source: Shutterstock.com
This strange and strained relationship with my father continued until I was 18, and by then I was a sad and lonely young woman who believed my father hated me. If my father didn’t love me, who would?
But the answer to all my questions was about to be delivered in the most painful and cruel way. My father was hosting a party for his business associates, and among them was a woman whom I knew slightly.
If you don’t leave the past behind you, you deny yourself a future.
I had the feeling that she and my father had a past together — or at least that she wished they did. She greeted me and we started chatting — inconsequential talk about nothing special — and my father walked by.
I gave him my best smile, but he immediately glanced away. The woman saw it all. “Do you know why?” she asked.
I grew up feeling that my father hated me | Source: Unsplash
“Why what?” I asked, confused.
“Why he hates you,” she said.
“My father doesn’t hate me!” I exclaimed. “He’s just not a very demonstrative man.”
“So you don’t know…” she smiled. It was the ugliest smile I’d ever seen. I was about to walk away when she said, “He believes you killed your mother, Karen.”
One day at a party someone told me the truth | Source: Unsplash
I stopped in my tracks. “What?” I gasped.
“Your mother died giving birth to you, surely you know that?” she said.
“No…” I answered. “No, I didn’t know.” I turned my back on her and went looking for my grandmother, my father’s mother, the woman who’d raised me and never told me about my mother’s death.
“How did my mother die?” I asked her angrily. “Was it in childbirth?”
My mother had died in childbirth | Source: Pexels
My grandmother shook her head. “Please Karen, your father asked me never to speak of this with you.”
“I have the right to know about my own mother!” I cried. “I have the right to know why my father hates me!”
Then a quiet angry voice behind me said, “I don’t hate you, Karen, but your mother’s death is none of your business:”
I turned to face my father. “My mother’s death is none of my business? You’re wrong! I killed her, didn’t I? That’s what you think each time you look at me!”
My father blamed me for her death | Source: Unsplash
The expression in his eyes sent me running out of the door. I got into my car and drove aimlessly, tears running down my face. In my distress, I didn’t see the oncoming car changing lanes until it was too late.
I woke up in the hospital linked to a beeping machine, with a dull promise of pain twinging through my whole body. Sitting by my side and holding my hand was my father.
“Karen,” he said softly, “Thank God you’re alright!”
“Daddy…” I whispered, “you’re here!”
Tears came into his eyes. “Of course I’m here. I don’t hate you, Karen. I love you. And I don’t blame you for your mother’s death, I blame myself. When your mom and I married we were very poor.
“All we had were dreams and our love for each other. Then she fell pregnant and I took on a second job. I knew we’d need the money when you came along. I was working 16-hour days and she spent a lot of time alone.
“So one day when I came home she wasn’t there. A neighbor had taken her to the hospital. When I got there it was all over. Your mother had died, and I hadn’t been there for her.
The accident nearly cost me my life | Source: Pexels
“I didn’t blame you, Karen, I blamed myself. I was determined I wasn’t going to fail you the way I’d failed her, so I threw myself into my work, and I became a rich man.
“Daddy, how could you blame yourself?” I asked. “There was nothing you could have done!”
“I could have been there, holding her hand the way I’m holding yours now,” he said.
“But daddy…” I hesitated, “you were always so angry with me, so cold. You ran away from me.”
My father and I were reconciled | Source: Unsplash
“Karen, you look just like your mother, and each time I looked at you, my heart was torn apart by grief and guilt. It took nearly losing you to make me realize what I’d done. I love you.”
For the first time in my life, my father put his arms around me and showed me that he loved me. It was a new beginning for both of us, and I like to believe my mother was smiling down from heaven.
What can we learn from this story?
- If you don’t leave the past behind you, you deny yourself a future. Karen’s father was so lost in his pain that he nearly lost the opportunity to have a wonderful relationship with his daughter.
- The truth can heal old wounds and open the way to a new beginning. It was only after Karen and her father spoke about their estrangement that they could move past their misunderstandings.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who left his widowed mother homeless.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story but written by a professional writer. All names have been changed to protect identities and ensure privacy. Share your story with us, maybe it will change someone’s life.
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