When your going through hell..

I heard a quote on Good Morning America this morning. 

Robin Roberts was talking about the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and saying how Arthur Ashe once told her, "You don't know how strong you are until you have to be stronger." 

Isn't that the truth. So much I have thought I wasn't going to make it through, but I have. I thought being cheated on by my long time boy friend was the end of the world, but I pulled through. I thought losing two childhood friends who were more like my brothers, my grandfather, both my grandmothers, and my uncle in a two year span was going to break me, but I made it through stronger. I thought having "friends" break my heart was all I could take, but I made it out with a better understanding and definition of friends. 

I guess the moral of  the story is before we go through the tough stuff and as were in the trenches battling the awful that life seems to continuously throw at us we don't really think we can handle it.. but we can. 

When we feel weak- we really are becoming stronger. 

These passed two weeks in the ALI community there has been way too much loss and tragedy. I know you women are going threw hell and feel helpless. I just hope that this holds true for you as well. Once you make it out I hope you are stronger for all the awful. I know pieces of you will never be the same- anytime you suffer a tragedy or loss of any kind you are a changed person, but I pray that on the other side of this awful is a strength you didn't know you had and a hole lot of beautiful in all of your roads ahead.

I have a few friends dealing with some awful of their own and my heart is breaking as I watch them struggle with the curve balls that life is throwing. I know that when they come out on the other side of this they will be stronger, they will be wiser, and they will be happier, even though right now they may feel that couldn't possibly hold true. 

I know for myself as I watch many of my friends around me become mothers and I let fear of not becoming one myself consume me that I have to just keep on moving forward. I will be stronger for this. I will be a better mother. I will appreciate more and complain less.

Its all leading to something. There has to be a bigger picture.

What ever brand of awful we are going through right now will eventually make us all stronger. Pieces of us may never be the same and our struggles may alter us and change us, but we will make it through. Something inside of us will be stronger. 

My heart goes out to you if your struggling right now. I wish there was something more I could do. I want to scoop every last one of you up in a hug and hold you tight. I want to tell you its going to be okay. That we are here for you and if you feel like you can't stand on your own two feet I want to tell you we will hold you. 

I want to be stronger too. 

And now to end on a song that could become an anthem for anyone who is battling any sort of awful...

If your going through hell...