Life is filled with ups and downs, and these experiences of success and failure are meant to either strengthen or weaken us. I firmly believe that the outcome of our experiences is determined by our choices. Throughout my life, both in my military career and civilian life, I have encountered successes and failures, be it through injuries, promotions, or denied job offers. In 2004, shortly after experiencing our first miscarriage, I was emotionally drained and found myself crying uncontrollably. I found myself facing a unique challenge. While dealing with the emotional pain of our loss, a physical issue emerged. I was seated in our living room when I suddenly felt a slight pull in my back as I attempted to stand up and walk to the kitchen. To my astonishment, I couldn’t walk; the pain was excruciating. I had to crawl. Fear and worry immediately flooded my mind. We had just lost a baby at five months, and now I couldn’t walk. Despite the intense pain, I needed to hide it from Ewurama to prevent her from panicking. With great effort, I managed to crawl to the door, where Ewurama assisted me to the car. At this point, maintaining composure was essential. We rushed to the hospital, where I was transported to the ER in a wheelchair. After undergoing x-rays, the diagnosis revealed a triple herniateddiscinmylowerback,which was pressing on my nerves. I couldn’t help but wonder how this could have happened. Potential causes included activities like jumping out of planes and running in combat boots. Many thoughts raced through my mind, including the fear that this might mark the end of my military career. I had dedicated 11 years to the Army, and I had no intention of giving it up. I was referred to a neurologist, started physical therapy, and even tried acupuncture. It took a year of persistent effort before I could run again. Throughout this challenging ordeal, I made a pivotal decision to change my career path and applied to become an Army Warrant Officer (WO), a prestigious rank comprising only 26,000 individuals (2.5% of the Force). Despite enduring pain and taking pain medication for my lower back, Iwas accepted into theprogram, and I went through intensive training for five weeks. While attending the WO Basic Course, Ewurama experienced her third miscarriage. It was a period filled with doubt and questioning our faith, as it seemed like adversity was constantly testing us. However, what I gleaned from these trials is that everything happens in its own time, often not when we expect it but when it aligns with God’s plan. In June/ July 2006, Eli was conceived, and he was born on January 26, 2007. On December 11, 2008, Liam came into our lives, and on April 26, 2011, Nolan made his entrance. Notably, Liam and I share the same birthdate, the 11th day of the month, while Eli and Nolan share the 26th day of the month. Through these experiences, I have learned valuable lessons from my failures. They have molded me into a better person, one who is eager to learn from my mistakes. I often advise those I encounter to confront their failures, extract wisdom from them, and ensure they do not repeat the same missteps. It is through the failures of others that innovation is often born. Growing up in Ghana, failure is often stigmatized. However, I encourage our sons and anyone I can influence to pursue their passions without fear of failure. I advocate for them to embrace new challenges and remind them that innovation thrives on learning fromsetbacks. Inmy current employment, we are encouraged to document our failures and persist until we achieve success in our projects. Growth Through Life’s Lessons 37 The Birthday Journal
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