Don't Quit

It’s sometimes easy to feel sorry for ourselves.  Self-pity and wanting are ugly beasts. We wonder, why is life so easy for others? Why can’t I catch a break?  Does it have to be this hard? Everyone feels like that from time to time. I know, I do.  And then things in life happen or you take part in something amazing and it sets your mind right. 

I’ve been feeling pretty frustrated lately. It’s a vicious circle of knowing what to do and doing the exact opposite and then being mad about the results.  Ir doesn’t make sense to anyone of logic but humans are not always logical creatures.  I got a call on Friday that was a little disappointing…oh who am I kidding? It was so disappointing I cried.  And on my drive back to Cresco I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  I was wondering why things don’t tend to go in my favor.  I was a little mad at fate and God and the powers that be in multiple places and wondering why the stars just couldn’t align for me. I worked hard, I busted my butt, I lost blood, sweat and tears and I didn’t get the prize.  And I was pouting and feeling miserable.  I felt like my entire weekend was going to be a loss. I just wanted to get in bed and cry and feel bad for myself.  But I didn’t.

I tried to put things into perspective.  The news I had received was disappointing but it wasn’t dead.  There were still avenues to explore.  There was work to be done and dreams to keep chasing.  With the help of my husband, some great tunes in my ear phones, and the Iowa wind blowing across my face along a lonely highway, I kept driving. I tuned my mind into alternatives and devised new plans.  I spent time with my beloved family and was reminded of my blessings.  Even when you feel down, there are ALWAYS people out there in worse circumstances.  I reminded myself that I was going home for to celebrate the birth of the adorable baby Michael.  I was going home to help someone in much more need than myself at a charity benefit for a friend of our family, Stacy. There was a benefit being held for her Saturday night with dinner, silent auction, live auction, etc. to raise money for her family as she battles severe MS.  She is 36 years old. She is the mother of two adorable little children.  She always has a smile on her face even when we know that she is suffering.  She never gives up. She’s a fighter and a shining example for everyone who gets the chance to know her.  During the auction I had my eye on a framed poem that entitled “Don’t Quit”.  I was determined to get it but it went out of my price range quickly.  And then, the lady that bought it, walked it over and gave it to Stacy.  There were very few dry eyes watching.  It was the perfect moment.  And she was just the person that deserved that photo.  It was inspiring to me to watch her be so brave and gracious and surrounded by love.  It made me know that I couldn't quit either. 

So this weekend I made my own Don’t Quit picture with the poem and a picture of me on top of a mountain in Malibu.  I am going to hang it in my bedroom to remind me every single day that I am blessed enough to wake up, that no matter how things go and what twists and turns we face, we can never quit.  Shine, be brilliant and keep trudging on.   

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 

When the funds are low and the debts are high, 

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, 

When care is pressing you down a bit, 

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, 

As every one of us sometimes learns, 

And many a failure turns about, 

When he might have won had he stuck it out; 

Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- 

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than, 

It seems to a faint and faltering man, 

Often the struggler has given up, 

When he might have captured the victor's cup, 

And he learned too late when the night slipped down, 

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-- 

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 

And you never can tell how close you are, 

It may be near when it seems so far, 

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- 

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.