The Main Thing Is ... Don't Ever Give Up

I have thought many thoughts today ... it's been a thinking day. 

My thoughts involve a lot of self reflections. I study myself as well as study others ... everything.

I have begun seeing a lot of young mothers/parents upset with the price of gas. Wow, prices are climbing!

I watched online several young mothers talking about having hard times already with food prices, child care ... rent, car payments, trying to afford all the things young families work for. Now, gas is topping it all.

I felt their pain as I watched, listened. I watched their faces, tears falling, voices filled with such emotion. I felt their words, their pain.

I let myself feel ... their pain for a few minutes ... to mentally 'walk a mile' in their shoes. That's something I have always done ... unless I was actually walking in those shoes, myself.

I have to protect my Heart ... I feel, care when others go through bad things ... especially, young families. 

If I didn't protect my Heart,  I wouldn't be able to live with the pain, compassion  ... for others. I would only be a big ball of pure pain for the world ... no good to myself, others.

It seems so much in Life affects each, everyone of us in today's time ... making family units, marriages fragile. I grew up in the most broken of homes. I want families to make it, have every chance to stay together. 

Now ... today ... oh my, my, my. I worry ... each day Life has something new, now. Things are happening for the first time and ... so far, they don't seem to be good things. 

It seems like each day new groups of people are affected ... losing healthcare, food benefits they depend on. It's like a rug being pulled out from every walk of Life. Only the rich don't suffer ... money buys everything. 

Everything is being broken ... there's no way to 'go back' to the way things were ... we are at 'where things are' ... now. 

Broken like a beautiful vase ... trying to put it back together like it was ... but ... never to be the same again.  

We are in the 'breaking' stage. The powerful control the outcome. 

We ... wish for miracles, things to be alright, to be better again. I have faith all will get better. 

In the meantime. ... we each do our best in our lives, lives we touch ...

We have no way of knowing at least how tomorrow will be ... Life has become very unstable. We used to have an idea what tomorrow would bring. 

We used to go to sleep knowing pretty much what tomorrow would bring. I wake up now .... knowing to look, check the news because so much happens while everyone sleeps.

I used to wake up with a 'scared' sensation in the pit of my stomach. I think ... 'I wonder what happened during the night'.

Too many bad things  happen to hurt people ... real people, little children ... people who already struggle to go through each day. 

I had to really force myself to face that I can't control what's going to happen as one thing after the other happens to change our Life as we know it. It's happening so fast ... everyday.

I can only be 'right here' ... and when the ripples of Life threaten to touch my little world in a negative way ... I can do the best I can ... truly ... one can't do better than that.

We have to accept we can't stop bad things from happening  ... we can only do our best to react in a positive way. Why?

Like ME ... I have two precious lives who depend, need ME. 

I am sure you have the same in your life ... unless ... you depend on someone. There were times I depended on Skip ... he took care of everything. 

When his health began failing, oh my ... I began to face the harsh reality of having to take care of him ... us. I had no one in my immediate Life ... my only child/son died, he was all I had.

Oh my, my, my ... oh my, my, my ... is all I can say about all the battles I have fought in the past ten years. 

I learned to put my pride aside, ask for help ... I ALWAYS went without, before asking for help to get what I needed. 

I still struggle with that ... I grew up when asking for help made you look bad, weak, people look down on you. 

My pride took a big blow when my Life changed drastically. I had to ask for help many times.

You wouldn't believe how thankful, grateful I am, have been over and over. I got to experience how much it meant to be helped when I had no way to turn, no one to turn to.

I will say this ... even when needing ... I ALWAYS give back in one way or other. That's my nature. I can't take, not give.

Even if I don't have a lot, I still have something to give. Does that make sense?

We tend to think when giving it has to be money ... not so, though that's a good way to help, care. 

If I have something I can give, not take away from Skip ... Pup ... and I know someone needs it ... I will find a way to give it.

Even ... if I go so far to lend something, I go ahead and let go of it mentally in case it doesn't come back. That's to avoid negative feelings. 

I have always been like that. Material things aren't worth the mental anguish,  truly don't lend if you can't let go. 

It's so easy to be distracted by Life, forget to return. I have been there, done that, never meaning to when younger.

When we grow older we find positive ways to not set ourselves up for pain, anger ... things to cause us grief. 

As you grow older you will see, especially when you try to be the best you can. Not perfect ... just the best you can.

Yes, I know ... sometimes, we can't even be the best we can at times. The main thing is ... don't ever give up.