Thankful in the Struggles

This post was originally published on my website Domestic Extarodinaire in 2018; I am reposting it as a way to give encouragement that no matter where you are in your struggle that there is hope.

The year 2017 will forever be a year that I remember for a myriad of less than desirable reasons. Here’s where I confess that even with my positive attitude when you’re in the midst of the muck you can’t always see beyond the struggle you are currently engaged in.

I shared a lot of my daily life on Instagram so I could feel connected to the outside world. My feed was filled with face masks, inhalers, and doctor’s appointments. I shared my good days and I shared my bad. I wanted to help give a face to invisible illnesses. I wanted you to know that you are not alone.

I know I won’t forget the struggles of this past year and in a way I am thankful for them.

What do you mean you are thankful for your struggles?

The struggles in life help us to grow. They show us who and what are important. They help us to figure out our focus.

Between the struggles there was so much good. There was fun with family and friends. There were new adventures with and without the face mask. And of course, there was lots of Vivien.

As I looked through my Instagram I was able to see how I celebrated these good moments in my life.

The first time I was out without a face mask, even if it was for a few moments.

An all-day outing with my granddaughter at the mall that left me exhausted but filled with happiness.

The start of my life with my husband.

My girls at my happy place.

Small trips and victories in my life that I just can’t put into words.

This past summer I read Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl, and this quote resonated with me.

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”

 

There will be misery and sadness, you will struggle. But in all of it look back and see the beauty that remains.