🌻Carla Zaidan on Choosing Life, Beauty, and the Power of Sunflowers

This is the very first post in a new series I’m calling Healing in Nature Stories, where I sit down with brave, inspiring humans who have walked through incredibly hard things—and somehow found healing, meaning, and light through it all. These stories aren’t just about nature; they’re about resilience, identity, and the many ways we can come back to ourselves.

Today, I want to introduce you to Carla Zaidan.

When Carla and I connected, I had no idea how powerful her story would be. She was bright and warm from the very beginning—chatting about her graduation plans, her talkative cat, and the cute puppy she was dog-sitting. But soon, she shared something that stopped me in my tracks.

A Night That Changed Everything

Carla Zaidan: "I saw beauty in everything"

“I was always the matchmaker or the love story person,” Carla told me. “I would always ask my family how they met, how they fell in love. I saw beauty in everything.”

But on July 4th, 2014, that sense of wonder was shattered. What started as a festive night ended in horror when Carla and her best friend Brian were attacked by a drunk stranger. Carla was stabbed multiple times. Brian, who had come to protect her, was fatally wounded.

“I tried to scream, but no one could hear me,” she said. “He told me, ‘This is the last time you’re going to see your best friend.’ And then he drove off.”

She remembered every detail—his face, his car, the license plate. She recited it to the police herself, even while covered in blood, even while in complete shock.

Later, she found out Brian survived for 15 hours, woke up from a coma, and said, “Where’s Carla?” before slipping away.

That sentence still lives in her heart.

"He Didn’t Just Take His Life. He Took Half of Mine"

Carla’s journey after the attack was anything but linear. From the way she was treated by police—being interrogated for hours, denied water, and kept near her attacker—to the way she had to find out about Brian’s death on Facebook, the trauma didn’t stop at the scene.

“I didn’t want to forget what happened,” she told me. “I didn’t want to be medicated. I wanted to remember it. Not because it didn’t hurt, but because it made me who I am.”

And who she is… is powerful.

Despite the fear, despite the trauma, despite people blaming her or pretending it didn’t happen—Carla kept showing up. Not just for herself, but for her friend’s memory.

From Trauma to Purpose

Instead of burying the pain, Carla turned it into purpose.

She decided to study forensic science. “I figured out my path after this traumatic experience,” she said. “I want to help others speak out. I want to help bring justice.”

It wasn’t easy. She had to drop out of community college after experiencing intense flashbacks and panic attacks. But she didn’t stop.

“I pushed myself. I challenged myself,” she said. “Day by day, I kept passing, passing, passing... until I made it here.”

Now, as she prepares to graduate with her Master’s degree, Carla holds on tightly to the belief that healing is possible—without erasing what happened.

“I Don’t Want to Be Seen for What Happened. I Want to Be Seen for Who I Am”

So many parts of this conversation stuck with me, but this quote really hit home:

“People kept showing me sympathy. I didn’t want sympathy. I wanted people to look at me and see me. The bubbly, creative, compassionate person I am—not what happened to me.”

Even after everything, Carla refuses to live as a victim.

“I’m stronger than I’ve ever been,” she said. “I used to hate knives. But now I ask—why do you carry one? What’s your story? I try to understand. Not judge.”

Carla speaks about life with so much raw honesty. She doesn't sugarcoat her pain, but she also doesn’t let it define her.

The Love That Keeps Her Going

One of the most beautiful twists in her story is how Carla met her boyfriend Kevin—on her best friend Brian’s birthday.

“Brian always used to say, ‘You’ll meet the love of your life on my birthday.’ And then... I met Kevin on December 12th. Just like he said.”

She smiled when she told me about how similar they are—how Brian and Kevin would’ve been “like brothers, nerds and goofballs.” Carla sees Brian’s light in Kevin’s eyes. It keeps her grounded. It helps her laugh again.

They hike together, cloud-watch, play “what shape is that?” in the sky. Carla even climbed Sugarloaf Mountain—in a skirt!—on one of their adventures.

Because for her, nature is more than just a setting. It’s medicine.

Sunflowers Always Face the Light

Sunflowers stand tall, and when they don’t get enough sunlight, they face each other to share it.

“I’ve always loved sunflowers,” Carla shared. “They stand tall. And when they don’t get enough sunlight, they face each other to share it.”

That’s how she sees herself—and that’s how I see her too.

When she’s low, she seeks light. And when others are low, she gives it.

“I am a sunflower,” she said simply. “I stand tall. I keep going.”

She finds nature’s beauty in puddles, in leaves, in tiny bugs on blades of grass. She notices. She slows down. She connects.

“Even dirty water can reflect the sky,” she said. “That’s how I see life too. There’s always beauty, even in the mess.”

Her Message to Others Who Are Struggling

I asked Carla what advice she’d give to others going through dark seasons, or people trying to make sense of a traumatic experience.

Here’s what she shared:

• “Start by listing what makes you feel good—like really good.”

• “Write down the triggers. The good. The bad. The patterns.”

• “Don’t let others define who you are. You get to decide.”

• “You don’t have to take the traditional path. If medication helps you, take it. But if it doesn’t—find another way.”

• “Talk to someone. But make sure they actually listen.”

And maybe most importantly...

“Don’t let what happened to you become who you are. You are more than that.”

Why I’m Sharing This Story

Bright yellow sunflowers bloom under a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Carla’s story is a reminder that healing doesn’t always come from hospitals or therapists. Sometimes it comes from the quiet space in nature. From a deep breath. From a flower. From the belief that we are still worthy of love, even after being broken.

Her voice is courageous, vulnerable, and powerful. And it deserves to be heard.

This is just the beginning of Healing in Nature Stories. My hope is that by sharing stories like Carla’s, we begin to remember that healing looks different for everyone—and that we can support one another by holding space, by listening, by not turning away.

Carla, thank you.

Thank you for letting me sit with your pain, your joy, and your memories. Thank you for showing us that it’s possible to go through something horrific—and still choose life. Still choose beauty. Still choose the light.

Want to Watch the Full Conversation?

Carla’s story is even more powerful when you hear it in her own words—full of heart, humor, and truth.

Come sit with us. Listen. Reflect. Heal.

Want to Connect with Carla?

Carla is open to connecting with anyone who resonates with her story or wants to reach out.

📲 You can find her on Facebook Here.

She’d love to hear from you—whether it’s a message of support, a shared experience, or just a hello 💛

🌻 Over to You

Did something in Carla’s story move you?

Did her words remind you of your own journey—or someone you love?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Or just drop a sunflower emoji 🌻 if you’re standing tall today.

With love and light, Klara.