Fortune cookie anyone?

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."

I've heard this quote just a handful of times, but was reminded of it tonight after thinking about someone whom I believe to be one of the strongest people I know. I don't know where it came from or who said it first...but just to be clear it wasn't me. I think that a statement like this couldn't be any truer and I'm sure that each of you can probably recall a certain time in your life where you felt like the walls were caving in around you and you'd never get out. I know I've been there myself and yet here I sit to tell you about it today. Whether we've dealt with sickness, finances, heartache, whatever have you...the same goes for all of it. Who knew you could be so strong? If someone told me way back in the beginning of time that throughout my life I would have to overcome such obstacles as I have, I think I would have asked for a redo. Honestly, sometimes life just plain sucks. But if you really think about it, it's just like you always hear..."there's always somebody whose worse off than yourself." And what is that supposed to even mean? Is that supposed to make us feel better to know that people out there are even more depressed and miserable and are suffering through even more difficult trials and tribulations than what we can barely tolerate ourselves? Wow, how horrible to be so self centered. Or maybe it's just to get us to stop complaining about it so much...how could I possibly complain about the leak in my roof when I come face to face with a mother much like myself who has NO roof at all to even complain about right?? Ya, that must be where the saying comes from. Oh and no, my roof isn't leaking-it just fit here so I said it.

Now that I've been rambling on all Debbie Downer-ish, I guess we should take the time to look at it in a more positive light. Like the quote says, we don't know how strong we are until we need to be and should be proud of ourselves when we make it past the challenges we often face. It absolutely amazes me the things that some people experience and yet they go through life with such positivity and are doing their best to live a meaningful life through their struggles. And yet there's others out there who go through difficult times and then there they sit amidst a sea of pain and suffering and are drowning there. If you know someone like this, take the time to throw them a life jacket please!! I hope to always strive to be one of the first kind of people and pray that those who have trouble finding their way again will make it through to see the joy that they're missing. Life isn't easy and as the great Rocky once said, "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward."  Rocky was a pretty smart guy is you ask me! So, I think we can all agree that the common goal here is to keep moving forward. No matter how hard life hits...keep getting up and fight. Afterall,  someone out there has been through worse and is probably out volunteering somewhere so it's the least we can do to pick ourselves up and be better off afterwards right? ;) 

And about that woman I admire so much...I'll spare her the publicity of naming her without asking since I'm pretty famous these days haha...but let's just say that she was dealt a pretty difficult hand. She endured what many of us could never even imagine and yet continues to go through her life with such a joy and a genuinely positive outlook. She is an amazing woman and an inspiration to myself and others and I'm proud to call her a friend. If you're reading this and think it's you, it probably is and just know that you are an extraordinary person and I think the world of you! And if you'd like to pretend that I'm referring to the rest of you as well...then go ahead because I think you're all great too! Now when going through your own obstacles, always know that, "everything will be okay in the end and if it's not okay, it's not the end." Alright, alright I'll stop with the fortune cookies now. But it's true, someday we'll be old and sitting in a rocking chair somewhere and look back on our lives with pride! Alright one more, "Just keep swimming!" :)

Until next time...