What a powerful question.. I think the negative connotations attached to becoming a “lesser version” of ourselves through illness can make it difficult to see our experiences differently. Being confronted with something largely outside my control has challenged how I relate to myself. While I wouldn't necessarily have chosen the circumstances, navigating them has allowed me to develop a deeper sense of self-compassion, grace and acceptance. And what's interesting is that these qualities don't feel like a departure from who I am. They feel like an authentic expression of parts of myself I perhaps hadn't fully discovered before. I don't think illness necessarily makes us better or worse versions of ourselves. But I do think it can change how we understand ourselves, and perhaps reveal possibilities we hadn't previously considered.