Flourish and Bloom: A Journey of Optimism and Growth

Throughout my life, I’ve faced challenges, moments of uncertainty, loss, and difficult transitions. Yet, when I look back, I can only describe my life as wonderful. I’ve been blessed with loving parents, a strong education, and unforgettable experiences that shaped who I am today. I know I’ve been far more fortunate than many, but like everyone else, my blessings came hand-in-hand with struggles that tested my patience, resilience, and optimism.

Roots across Continents

I was born in the United States while my parents were finishing their higher studies. My father was an engineer, and my mother later earned her PhD in English literature. We moved back to Baghdad when I was five, where I grew up surrounded by family and culture until the political situation changed years later. Returning to the States much later in life to continue my training felt, in many ways, like coming full circle back to the place where my story first began.

The Beauty of Home

My parents had the opportunity to stay in the United States, but my mother was homesick and longed to return to family. Looking back, I think that was the best decision they ever made. It allowed me to grow up immersed in the beauty of Middle Eastern culture, something that shaped the woman I am today in every way. My childhood in Baghdad was filled with warmth, laughter, and community. Even though many of those years were marked by war, my memories are still filled with light. Friends from school and university remain some of the most precious people in my life. The love, strength, and resilience I witnessed during those years became the foundation of who I am.

When Life Demands Change

When the political situation in Iraq worsened, my parents made the brave decision to leave everything behind and move to Bahrain. My father found work there, and that became our new home. Following them later meant facing an unexpected setback; I couldn’t continue my medical studies there because the system was entirely different. I was already halfway through my third year of medical school, and suddenly, everything I’d worked for felt uncertain.

Finding Strength in New Beginnings

But I didn’t give up. After months of searching, I found a university in Egypt, October 6 University, that accepted my credentials. Moving alone to a new country was intimidating. Egypt was unfamiliar at first, and I missed my parents terribly. But slowly, I found my footing. I fell in love with the country, its warmth, its rhythm, and its people. Egypt gave me some of the most cherished friendships and memories of my life. It taught me independence, resilience, and grace. It made me stronger and reminded me that sometimes being uncomfortable is the beginning of becoming.

Stepping into Purpose

After graduation, I moved back to Bahrain for my residency. It was another new beginning, a different culture, a different medical environment, and new lessons in patience. Working there, I saw women in their most vulnerable moments—giving birth, recovering, healing. Their courage moved me deeply. Witnessing their struggles and strength ignited something in me: a lifelong desire to help women not just through medicine, but through every stage of their becoming.

Another Leap Forward

Eventually, I realized my growth demanded another leap. My training in Bahrain wasn’t progressing, so I took another bold step, completing my USMLEs and moving to the United States. It wasn’t easy. I lived with relatives for over a year while waiting for my chance. But that chance came when I matched into my residency at SUNY—a whole new world, a new test of strength, and a new chapter of becoming.

Choosing the Light

Through all these changes, I’ve learned that optimism isn’t about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about trusting that even the hardest seasons serve a purpose. It’s about believing that every closed door leads to something better. It’s about looking at life’s glass and choosing to see it as half full, not because it’s easy, but because it’s faithful.

Passing Optimism Forward

That’s what I’ve taught my children, especially my 11-year-old son, who already sees the world with that same light. We choose to see the bright side, to believe that every difficult season brings the promise of a better one. Because it always does.

The Wisdom in Every Season

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. I remind my children, my parents, and even myself of this whenever life feels unfair or uncertain. Every challenge carries a hidden lesson, and every detour a hidden blessing. When a door closes, another often better one opens. We don’t always understand the wisdom behind what happens to us, but focusing on the “why” only keeps us stuck in the past. Instead, I look forward to the lessons, to the opportunities, to the doors waiting to be opened.

The Beauty in the Grey

As Taylor Swift sings, “You know I love spring, I love the flowers, but I start to miss the grey.” I love that line because it says so much about life and about balance. While we all love the beautiful seasons, there’s a part of us that remembers the hard ones too, because they shaped us. The “grey” represents the challenges, the quiet times, the moments that made us stronger and wiser. Without them, the bright seasons wouldn’t shine as brightly.

Where Growth Begins

That’s how I see life: every storm, every “grey” season has a purpose. They make the sunshine that follows even more meaningful. So let’s embrace it all, the rain and the bloom, because that’s where true growth begins.

Choosing Joy, Always

So let’s choose to see the light in every season. Let’s look for the lessons, the laughter, and the beauty that still remain even when life feels uncertain. Dwelling in the dark never helps us grow; it only dims our sparkle. Let’s lift our gaze, focus on the good, and keep moving forward.

Let’s flourish and bloom together.

Join the Conversation

How has optimism shaped your story? Share your thoughts below or tell me about a moment when choosing to see the full half of life helped you grow stronger. Your words may inspire someone else’s next season of flourishing.