Outlook

I listened to a stunning story a few weeks ago on NPR (full text at the link). The story is about the Wounded Warriors: wounded veterans who were making a long trek on custom-fitted bikes. You heard the soldier's story, then you heard his mom: "That's usually about the same time Patrick would call, so ... I was expecting Patrick to go, 'Hi, Mom.' Instead we got, 'This is Marines Quantico,' " she says. "It was tough, you know, then you just settle on, OK, he's injured but he's alive. Then they read off the list of injuries, and you just have to focus on, OK, but he's alive. "So it was five days of rough stuff before he got back here," she adds. "But then when he was here and you can lay eyes on him, you know, you're like, it's going to be OK — we can deal with all this, we can get through this. And he's had nothing but a positive attitude, so that helps immensely." 


And I yelled to the car radio: HE LEARNED IT FROM YOU. The positivity. It's not an accident he had that outlook. And I immediately thought of my mom. 


We recently saw friends we hadn't seen in a while, and when we briefed them on our ongoing struggles with adding to our family and other struggles not mentioned on this blog, the wife commented: but I asked how you were, and you guys seem fine. I shrugged and said, well we've got a lot to be thankful for. We have each other. And it's going to get better.


I thought of that too when I heard the radio story. God knows my mom went through some tough times; but that fight to keep on keepin on, when things get really shitty and raw and terrible. That desire to hold onto hope that it's gonna get better. THAT. Is Learned by example. So thanks mom. I think most women would have given up, hearing that they needed eight surgeries instead of three, hearing that nope, that pregnancy isn't going to work out either. Through all of our trials. You focus on that glimmer of hope; you hold tight to it because sometimes it's all you have. And you wake up the next day determined to fight on. 
My mom taught me that. I can't thank her enough.