It’s Not a Losing Battle

I have said a number of times I purchased Denise’s book and it is wonderful. While I am away on my trip that book has brought me so much comfort. Today I am holding onto the page WIN. Don’t feel like your fighting a losing battle!

Last week I felt terribly upset as I could not come home from my trip from Georgia to New York because North Carolina was experiencing a snow storm. I really felt like I was in the twilight zone when I heard this weekends forecast that Washington, Virginia and Delaware were all in a blizzard watch. The three major states for which we must drive.

I cried for hours because I have been away for five weeks and really want to get back home. I have my nieces’ bridal shower next weekend, we have a friend’s son’s wedding the following week. I know our safety was far more important than these events but I was so upset. I truly felt like I was fighting a losing battle.

I started questioning God and asking him what the deal was. I came down south for a month to try to be helpful to my niece, I tried to spend as much time with my Mother who was staying down by my sister as I could. I said, God please cut me some slack. I then stopped crying because while it made me feel better at the time it was causing no good in solving the problem.

I was fighting with my husband that it would not be safe to come home. I know Mom wants to come home but I was acting so overwhelmed that this was not a good idea to travel with a 91-year-old. I had all of these negative feelings going through my mind. Being here with my family an extra week was nice. It gave me time to enjoy and explore all our relationships as we don’t get together very often but inside I was so sad.

I found this negativity was really making me sick. That is when I grabbed my book and read it along with my husband’s advice. He said he was taking a few days off from work, he was going to head to Virginia early before the storm hit and if necessary we will stay in Virginia as long as necessary but he was getting me home.

I realized then and there that I am now not fighting a losing battle anymore. My husband is putting so much effort in getting me home safe. Our caregiving role gives us many blizzards where we feel like we are fighting a losing battle. That our best efforts are never good enough.

Denise, thank you for reminding me that it does not matter how long it takes to achieve the goal—as long as we are making our best effort we are winners. I’m hoping the trip goes well. My husband arrived in Virginia safely today and we leave Georgia tomorrow to meet him. If necessary we will stay in a hotel together on Sunday if the highway is not driveable.

I no longer feel like I’m fighting a losing battle however. The book brought me so much comfort since the day I ordered it. We can fight all the blizzards in our lives by remaining calm and positive. Without tests we will never grow, I suppose.

When I’m tested however I’m blessed to have my husband and that very special book!!