At work I had a patient’s daughter state, “I see you have a ‘thing’ for cactus.” She probably noticed the cactus badge holder, the small trinket hanging from my badge, and likely the colorful tattoo on my arm.

I then had the chance to chat with her about the experience I had last summer. In June, not only did I fall deeply in love, not only did my feet touch land in which my soul found absolute peace and solace, not only did the opportunity to allow everything internally to align, but within the terrain I found what represents my life.

The desert is a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. One of the plants that not only grows, but blooms in a place where nothing should is the cactus.

In so many ways this has been the story of my career. In nursing school I had teachers who told others (and myself) that they weren’t so sure I had what it took to be a nurse. My first ICU job the manager told me I would make a great floor nurse, I just didn’t have what it took to work in an Intensive Care Unit. I applied for a job at Wake Forest Baptist for a Neuro ICU position. They were only hiring nurses who had 1 year minimum ICU experience, a bachelor’s degree, and a NC nursing license. I had none of those qualifications. I not only got hired, but a year later I went on to be that unit’s dedicated charge nurse and from there worked at six nationally ranked hospitals in neurology and neurosurgery. How?

I bloomed where I was planted against the odds, against the adversity. Many times life has appeared to be barren. Hardships come. Those hardships often feel as though you are the only person in the world who has experienced such sorrow, such opposition. The cacti not only grows and blooms beautiful flowers despite the conditions around it- it recognizes the difficulty of survival and provides a shelter for birds in the desert, water for animals who have a thirst that needs to be quenched, and hope for all that see it living and thriving that we too can make something beautiful out of whatever place we find ourselves.

I encourage you that whatever you are facing to use this as proof that you can still have hope that greatness is in front of you. Once you find your greatness and peace don’t simply let it end there. Be someone’s shelter through their hard times so they too can find hope.