Are you a new person?

“You probably feel like a new person!”

“I’m sure you have a new appreciation for everything!’’

“I bet you wake up in the morning and say Modeh Ani with a whole new meaning!”

These are typical things we say when talking to someone who went through a traumatic life-threatening experience; these are the questions I’ve been asked many times over the past few months.

And the answer is..

Um, well…