Learning from the Storms:
- Jenny Westbrook
- Apr 28
- 10 min read
Updated: Apr 28
04/28/2025
Turning Pain Into Strength
The Storms That Changed Me
If I’m being honest, my life has always been full of storms. Some seasons brought passing clouds. Others? They came hard and fast, stacked one after another — barely giving me a moment to breathe before the next one hit. This particular season of storms I am talking about in this blog changed everything. My life would never look the same again.
It began quietly, in a house full of tension. A deeply unhealthy relationship I had worked so hard for many years to hold together was crumbling. I told myself I was keeping the peace for my kids, walking on eggshells every day. But deep down, I knew I was in trouble. This wasn’t ok. How did I get here? This wasn’t the life I wanted for my kids. This wasn’t the life I wanted for me.
Then came the visit… My dad, my rock, my safe space had been to the doctor for some shoulder pain. He was misdiagnosed. By the time the doctors figured it out, it was Stage 4 cancer. I needed to plug my ears. I did not want to hear what was coming out of his mouth. I didn’t want to believe any of it. There was no time to prepare. No time to process. No time to be anything but strong for my dad and for my kids.
Journal Prompt: What storm in your life knocked you down the hardest? What were you really feeling in the moment — even if you couldn’t say it out loud?
When Storms Stack Up
As my dad fought for his life, I was fighting to hold mine together at the same time.
There was another police visit, and I was forced to make the decision I’d been dreading — I had to leave. I had to protect my kids. I had to walk away from a life I had tried so hard to fix. It was not going to get better.
I hadn’t told my dad everything. I didn’t want to burden him with more bad things. But eventually, the weight became too heavy for me to carry alone. I needed his advice and his support. I needed help to leave.
Leaving didn’t bring peace. It brought with it a whole other chapter of storms. It brought courtrooms. Custody battles. Financial fear. The reality of becoming a single mother while still trying to keep a business running. Trying to fix up a home that was a bigger project than I could even comprehend.
I was filled with fear.
Fear of being alone without my dad.
Fear of not being able to protect my kids from the chaos.
Fear of failing as a mother, unable to shield them from the storm.
Fear of having no control over the way everything was unraveling.
Fear that I would never heal, that peace would never come again.
Fear that I wasn’t strong enough — not capable enough.
Fear that I was losing myself, my identity, and my sense of purpose.
Fear of being judged by others or by myself.
Fear that I would be stuck in this storm forever, with no way out.
Fear that I was drowning, without a lifeline to pull me through.
Alongside that fear, there was shame.
Shame that I couldn’t fix my marriage.
Shame that I couldn’t save my dad from the cancer.
Shame that I couldn’t seem to hold everything — or anyone — together.
And I was angry.
Angry that everything was falling apart.
Angry that I couldn’t stop it.
Angry that I was powerless to fix what was broken.
Angry that I felt so alone in the fight.
I was scared — terrified, really.
Scared for my kids’ future.
Scared that I wouldn’t be able to do this alone.
Scared that the storms would never let up.
Journal Prompt: What emotions did you try to hide during your hardest season? Why did you feel like you had to?
But This Season of Storms Wasn’t Over Yet
After multiple ankle surgeries, something still wasn’t right. A mass was discovered, and what followed was a massive ankle reconstruction.
After the surgery, the doctors remained hopeful, but as healing continued, the prognosis hit me like a ton of bricks: I may not be able to walk again. 300 steps a day might be the maximum.
Not possible. I was a dance teacher. Dance wasn’t just something I did — it was who I was. It had been my escape since I was a child. The one thing I could count on. The one thing I always had.
Now, not only was I losing my mobility, I was losing who I was and had always been — a dancer. Dance teacher, studio owner, choreographer… always who I had been. I was losing my ability to dance. I was losing the part of me that I had always known — to move.
I also had to face the hard truth: the way I had been teaching — from a chair — was not something I could continue. I was facing the cold, hard fact that I would have to close my dance studio doors — a part of me, a part of my life for 13 years. And before that, I had been a dance teacher. I had no idea what to do.
Journal Prompt: Have you ever felt like you were losing part of who you are? What helped you hold on — or start rebuilding?
I Didn’t Know How to Heal — Yet
I’ll be honest… At the time, I didn’t know how to heal or even know that was something I needed to do. I didn’t have the tools I needed to cope with everything that was happening. I didn’t understand that life’s storms don’t just happen to you; they happen for you. But with time, I started to realize that these struggles weren’t the end — they were an opportunity to rise, stronger than ever.
It took me many years and a couple more seasons of storms to learn this, but that is why I am here… sharing my story… to help you learn this before I did, to learn the tools to help you go through your battles and keep getting back up to fight them. To go with the flow and shift and transition so you can evolve into your highest good.
Each challenge, each obstacle, and every setback was pushing me to grow. It was hard to see it in the moment, but eventually, I began to understand: life isn’t about avoiding the storm, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.
Journal Prompt: Looking back, what is something you wish you knew when you were in the middle of your hardest storm? How can that piece of wisdom guide you now? What lessons did your past storms teach you? How can you use them in upcoming storms to make it easier?
Rise Through the Storm
Here’s what I’ve learned: You don’t need to know all the steps ahead of you. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to keep going, even when you’re unsure. Even when the road is unclear. You have within you the strength to weather the storm and rise through it.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about taking that next step, even if it’s a small one. It’s about standing up every time you’re knocked down, and learning from what the storm has to teach you. And remember: you don’t have to go through it alone. Reach out. Ask for help. You can always find your way through.
Journal Prompt: What’s one small step you can take today to start moving through your current or future storm? How does that small action create momentum for the next step?
Closing Thoughts
I didn’t understand it at the time, but I now know that the storms in my life were shaping me. They taught me resilience, courage, and strength I didn’t know I had. They didn’t break me — they built me.
Storms are hard. They shake us, they rattle us, and they make us question everything we thought we knew. But they also give us the opportunity to grow in ways we never imagined. They don’t last forever, and we don’t have to survive them alone.
As you read this, I want you to remember: no matter how heavy the storm feels, you can always rise. You can stand strong again, one step at a time.
Take that step. Keep moving forward. Even when it feels like you can’t. Even when it feels impossible. Because your storm will pass, and you will rise.
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The Power of Sharing Your Truth:
Helping Others Heal
You may wonder why I’m sharing this story. Why I’m exposing my wounds to the world. The truth is, I’m not doing it just for me. I’m doing it because I believe that our stories have the power to heal others. By sharing what we’ve been through, we help others see that they aren’t alone in their struggles. We give them permission to face their own shadows, to let go of their shame, and to begin their own healing process.
Together, I believe together we can change the world one polkadot at a time. By sharing and working together, we can help each other through it all.
I hope you join me on the journey. Until next time...
Dream BIG, enjoy the journey, and always remember to spread Polkadots wherever you go!
With Love, Light, and Polkadots,
Jenny
Where All the Dots Connect...
a place where each small step leads to something greater. This is where I share the story of my own healing journey—how life’s unexpected challenges, personal growth, and reflection led me to discover my true purpose. It’s here that the dots, both big and small, come together to form a picture of healing, gratitude, and connection.
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Thank you for being here, for being part of this healing journey. Together, let’s continue to grow, learn, and embrace the power of healing. Let’s change the world, one polkadot at a time.
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