Perseverance. (Yes, period!) This is what “it” takes… perseverance. What is “it”?
There is no magical way to get through what life throws at us or we throw at ourselves, it takes perseverance. “It” is all those challenges that face us emotionally, physically, and even mentally. After this year of living through a pandemic, the needed perseverance was almost an understatement… sadly, an ongoing one. We each have differing levels of perseverance in us, but it’s there. We each have differing ways to persevere – perhaps depending on what the end goal is – but we do it.
Perseverance is what gets us through the rough times, gets us to the good times, and gives us pride when looking back.
As the start of the school year is upon us, all I can think of is taking a deep breath, putting potential negative outcomes to the side, and jumping in with hopes it doesn’t sting too badly. The needs I imagine my students could be coming in with make me wish I were just getting ready to visit an exhibit where I got to heartfully analyze the issues, but then move on without helping to untangle. Instead, I am getting ready to reach for those deepest levels of perseverance that I’m sure lie within me somewhere in order to support and care for them. The worst part may be the unknown that is lurking in those needs. The days ahead will tell, so I’m just going to keep telling myself to breathe…
As a mom… (Yes, ellipses!)
As any parent can tell you, perseverance is pretty much a synonym for parenting. On the days when you are most tired and yet somehow make it through the day, the needed perseverance is staring you right in the face the next day. It doesn’t back down; it doesn’t take vacations–even when you’re on vacation.
In order to lighten my stress load, I decide from time-to-time to close the door on my daughter’s tornado of a room, or stop suggesting she finish the thank-yous from her birthday gifts, or lay-off the reminders to complete chores in order to receive her allowance, but the perseverance in other parenting regards is still required.
Perhaps the perseverance we put forth is what builds the unbreakable love we have for our children. If parenting were easy, would we take their sweet little faces for granted?
There may be those we look at in awe of all they’ve accomplished through their perseverance, but truly we should take a minute to do the same in our own lives. Each of us has had to push through different sized waves of perseverance throughout the years; it is what forms us into the individual, wonderful, strong people we are. There’s no telling what will come next, but with perseverance we can make it through and look back smiling! (Yes, exclamation!)
– Beth H, NEW BOOK JOY Guest Contributor
Conversation
What experiences inspired YOU & your family to persevere?
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