Pieces of You

"Tough times don't last.  Tough people do."
-unknown

I had great response to yesterday's post.  I want to thank everyone who took a minute to read it, especially those of you who wrote back.  It was a personal exercise, but surprisingly liberating.   I'm hoping some of you will decide to do the same;  I'd love to get a better idea of what it is that makes you tick. 

Leah alluded to some tough times I've been through; and the strength I've gained as a result.  She mentioned viewing the negatives as a positive part of life, which I think is so important.

My teens for the most part aren't something I care to remember, as I had to put up with alcoholism and a dysfunctional home life.  I won't go into detail here out of respect for others involved who had things worse than I did.  But what I do want to say is that I got through the other side.  We all did, in our own way.

I know there are some of you now who are going through very tough times.  It could be finances, job, relationship.  Whatever it is it's incredibly important to keep your mind focused where it needs to be, always towards hope.  So often everything happens at once, we start out strong and coping the best we can but after a while it's easy to get tired of fighting and just want to give in to it. Please don't.

For me the bad years seemed hopeless, with no end in sight.  It would have been easy to give in, to start drinking as a way to cope.  But I knew I had to stay strong and maintain my self-esteem.  Giving in to that would have been a short-term solution but I wouldn't have been able to hold my head high when I was out of it.  I knew deep down that situation would end one day.

No matter how futile things may seem they will change and they will get better, it's just a matter of time.  If you can believe there's a positive end in sight then I believe you can get through it. And if you ever want someone to walk some of that road with you, drop me a line.