Alive-versary Year 5

Sheesh, half a decade! Honestly the winter months become sort of a fog for me. I love the holidays and the family time but there’s always that lingering fog. Three of my Army friends were killed throughout these months; one on November, one in December, and another one in January. That brings us to February… the month that my life changed forever. My friends would be so disappointed if I let their deaths cloud any aspect of my life but sometimes it’s hard. Part of why I push myself so hard in my wheelchair is because I know that they would, given the chance. 

As I add more and more time under my belt, it gets harder to remember the initial concerns and struggles that I had immediately after becoming paralyzed. Even more so with any “struggles” that I had before my spinal cord injury. I suppose that’s only natural with time but rereading old blog posts and reflecting on life usually snaps me back. I shouldn’t be here… my life in general is an anomaly. It is a miracle, sure; but it is without a doubt an anomaly. On February 11th, 2017 I died (2 times actually). 

Every moment since that bullet shattered my neck has simply been part of the grind. Part of redefining Josh Keller. I think that I’ve done a pretty good job at doing that but sometimes the reality of my situation is a harsh reminder of how fragile our mortality really is. In a moment, life can change forever. I am so thankful to be rolling on this mortal plane here in 2022. This is my second chance and I have no intention on wasting it. 

If you can take any lesson from my story; from my 5 years as Josh Keller 2.0, let it be this. Live intentionally and love hard. Take nothing for granted & try to observe the small miracles already around you. Life can humble you in an instant.

God Bless!



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