The Weekend I Didn’t Die: Finding Power on a Rural Driveway

There is a specific kind of silence that happens in rural Canada when the wind dies down. It’s a quiet so heavy you can hear your own heart beating against your ribs.

A few years ago, that silence was all I had. I was on the phone with a doctor whose voice held that steady, calm gravity only a medical professional can muster. She laid it out plainly: due to a critical health crisis, the odds of me surviving the weekend were slim. The equipment needed to stabilize my heart wasn’t available in my rural town; it was coming on Monday.

I had forty-eight hours to wait. I had two days to stare at the ceiling and wonder if my story was ending.

But here is the thing about having absolutely nothing left to lose: you suddenly find everything to gain.

The First Step

When Monday came and went, and I was still here, I realized I had been handed a second chance. But it wasn’t a gift I could just sit around and enjoy. It was a chore.

I started on my driveway. That first day, I managed four steps. My heart hammered against my skull like a trapped bird, and every breath felt like a luxury I hadn’t earned yet. I would stop, lean into the cool Canadian air, and wait for my body to calm down. I braced for the end, but the end simply didn’t show up.

So, I kept going.

Four steps became thirty. Thirty became one hundred. What started as a desperate shuffle on a gravel road turned into a ritual of survival. I started growing my own food, choosing ingredients that offered life rather than just comfort. I fed my body, I fed my spirit, and I walked. I walked through the seasons, through the biting frost and the humid prairie heat, until those tentative steps turned into eight-mile stretches of freedom.

Why We Are Stronger Than We Know

We often wait for a “big moment”—a promotion, a major life change, or some external validation—to feel strong. But real strength isn’t found in a trophy case. It’s found in the quiet persistence of showing up for yourself when the world tells you to stay down.

I poured this realization into my music and my writing. I wrote “Hallelujah (The Rapture Anthem)” not just to celebrate survival, but to recognize that grace is found in the dirt, in the sunrise, and in the simple act of taking the next breath.

I share this because I know there is someone reading this who feels like they are waiting for their own “Monday.” Maybe you’re exhausted, maybe you’re scared, or maybe you just feel stuck.

You have more interior power than you realize. Your driveway, your kitchen, your living room—these are the places where greatness begins. You don’t need a massive plan. You just need to choose to move, even if it’s just one small step at a time.

If you’re looking for a companion for your own path toward healing and creative expression, I invite you to read my book, DENTIST. It’s a look into the artistic side of the dental world, but at its heart, it’s a story about how we navigate the complex, gritty, and beautiful work of living.

Take your health into your own hands. Find your rhythm. And most importantly, keep walking.

Interested in more? Explore the intersection of healing, art, and grit in my book: DENTIST – Available on Kobo

Hallelujah (The Rapture Anthem) – Lyrics

Intro Oh-oh-oh-oh, God, I am so grateful… Oh-oh-oh-oh, hear me now, hear me now… Yes, hear me now…

Verse 1 When I was lost at sea, drifting with the tide, The veil opened up for me, nowhere left to hide. Then I saw Your palace in the sky, oh, so bright, A beacon shining through the darkest night.

Pre-Chorus In the distance, a dark clouded sky, Moves across the wind and far away from over me, finally!

Chorus HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! You took the pain away, oh, You took the pain away! There’s a feeling, a peace and a calm, No more pain aching in and stuck on to my bones! HALLELUJAH! AMEN GOD! HALLELUJAH!

Verse 2 I look up, and because I still have You, Don’t need a star to fall across the sky, no, it’s true. Not from the heavens, I see Your grace complete, In every sunrise, a victory so sweet.

Pre-Chorus The Lord’s Prayer got me walking all those miles, Then back and forth along the two-mile road, for a while, for a while.

Excerpt From: Natalie J Massiah. “DentistBook1.” Apple Books.

Why We Carry More Strength Than We See

Many of us wait for a grand event—a promotion, a big birthday, a public accolade—to feel powerful. Real strength, however, is discovered in the quiet persistence of showing up when the world whispers “stay down.”

I channelled that discovery into music and writing. The song Hallelujah (The Rapture Anthem) was born not from fame, but from the gratitude that can be found in a sunrise, in the soil between my fingers, and in the simple act of taking the next breath.

If you are reading this and feel stuck, remember: the power you need already lives inside you. Your driveway, your kitchen table, your favourite armchair—these are the stages where the next act begins. No elaborate plan is required; just a willingness to move, one modest step after another.

A Book That Holds the Same Spirit

For those who enjoy exploring how art, health and everyday grit intersect, I wrote DENTIST. It is a look into the artistic side of dental practice, but at its heart it is a story about navigating the messy, beautiful work of living.

You can find DENTIST on Kobo and other digital platforms. If you feel ready to take a small, purposeful step toward your own healing, give it a look.

Take your health into your own hands. Find your rhythm. Keep walking.

Share this story with anyone who might need a reminder that they are stronger than they think.
Leave a comment below and tell us about the small step you took today.

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