Síomha Connolly

Síomha discusses tackling health challenges, finding strength, and more.

Siomha Connolly letter to my younger self

Dear S铆omha

You鈥檙e just starting out in college, venturing into a whole new world of freedom and I promise you鈥檙e going to have some of the best but also some of the worst years of your life.  They will make you the person that you are. 

In a few years, while finishing up an internship in the law firm you鈥檒l later qualify with, you鈥檙e going to make a hell of an exit by having a seizure which will turn out to be epilepsy.  It鈥檚 only now, looking back, that I realise how strong you will be but you get through it, though it means that getting through college and qualification will take a little longer than you鈥檇 hoped.  I don鈥檛 know if it was determination or just stubbornness (maybe a bit of both?) but you never gave up, even after failing more exams than you passed.

You鈥檙e going to fight with your doctors for brain surgery and it鈥檒l give you the confidence to continue.  You鈥檒l work and work and soon enough you鈥檒l be training in your dream firm wondering how you did it.  There will be good days and tough days and you鈥檒l have to learn how to face your anxieties to get through them but then, all of a sudden, you鈥檒l be a qualified Solicitor! 

People will tell you how well you鈥檝e done and you won鈥檛 believe them, finding reasons why they鈥檙e wrong. They鈥檙e not though, your strength and hard work got you here. Your kindness and friendliness also played a part too. You haven鈥檛 always been the kindest to yourself (and you鈥檙e still working on that one I鈥檓 afraid) but you do your best to be the best person you can to everyone else and that has played an important part in the support you have received when you needed it. Never stop being that person.

I鈥檓 so proud of you S铆omha. You never let anything hold you back from your dream.