By Matt Thomas

Eleven years ago, I was lying in a hospital bed in the ICU. I was living out my worst nightmare and heard the words, “You’ll be lucky to feed yourself again.” I had just learned I sustained a C5 complete spinal cord injury from a mountain biking crash. Those were hard days. No amount of positive thinking helped. What did help was making a mental list of things I was thankful for. That list was very short at first. But something strange happened—gratitude led to positive thinking. Optimism followed. Slowly, the list began to grow.

That’s not to say life is perfect now. If you ask me, “Are you glad you broke your neck?” you’ll hear a loudly stated “Hell no!” What I will say is this: with the right attitude and a drive to move forward, great things can still happen. And the greatest thing in these 11 years? My wife and I adopted a baby girl.

Parenting With a Girl

I first met our girl when she was just a few minutes old, and I was immediately smitten. I thought it would take longer to warm up, but the bond was instant. She’s three now, a little pistol, and she has me completely wrapped around her finger—she knows it, too. Being a dad is, hands down, the greatest joy and adventure of my life. But it hasn’t come without challenges. Before my injury, I was an avid outdoorsman—some might even say fanatical. I had this picture in my mind of teaching my kids how to ski, guiding them down rivers in a raft, and showing them secret swimming holes hidden deep in the woods.

Coming To Terms With My Life

Coming to terms with the fact that I can’t do those things in the way I imagined has been harder than I expected. Yes, I know there are still plenty of things I can share with her—and I will. But that doesn’t erase the grief I feel. For me, it’s important to acknowledge that grief, not ignore it. I just don’t let it hold me back. So, I make my gratitude list, stay present, and soak up every moment with my wife and daughter—because every one of them is a gift.