On Never Giving Up

♥ On Never Giving Up

Some nights life feels tough. The day has been heavy and you find yourself having to get up in the middle of the night when your body needs the rest. Still, you get up and do what you must.

As I write this, I am reminded that I am not new to this sensation, and neither will you be. We have all, at some time or other, had to push ourselves when things around us feel heavy.

Tonight, my dog was not well. I know it when he comes to me and tries to say, I need to go out. During the day he had been poorly, so I knew we might be in for a tricky night.

I got up, got ready and, around 1am, we went out for a short walk, like two besties on a midnight jaunt! Ten minutes later, as we walked back into our drive, I asked him, do you want to play? Away we both went, having a high intensity game of football while the world around us was fast asleep.

It was fun. It lifted both our spirits, and I could judge from his energy that all was well. My dog was going to be just fine.

Coming inside, I felt proud of us both. After all, I know my dog is there for me when I need him. He was doing precisely that yesterday morning when we were walking down a rather tricky slope in the woods. He waited for me until he saw I was close enough for us to walk down together. Afterwards, I told him, thank you for waiting.

Getting up in the middle of the night like a firefighter is not new to me. I did it more than a decade ago, but the body needs to be reminded that we are far stronger than we know.

Some of you will recognise the love and tenacity we find within ourselves when we must rise, even when every ounce of the body says, no, I need to rest.

Life will test us all. If we appreciate that life is a gift of daylight and nights, the highs and lows may not feel quite so arduous. We can embrace these moments as an opportunity to rise and remind ourselves that we did not come here to give up, either on ourselves or on those we love.

Sitting in my father’s chair typing this reminds me of those long nights after losing Dad. I had become used to getting up a few times during the night and to not having a solid night’s sleep. I would sit in this very same chair, writing my thoughts in the midst of my worries and praying to God for strength to help us both through this novel experience.

A decade on, I am grateful for the reminder that, although time has elapsed between the two events and there is no comparison, one steady thread continues.

It is the thread of love.

Love makes us strong.

Just as Oscar does not give up on me when I am a little slow walking down a slope, my Dad never gave up believing in me when I doubted whether I could fulfil my promise.

I will never give up on those I love.

For to give in and to give up is a vote of no confidence in the self, and in the Creator who gave us the chance to experience this life.

Let the light inside you guide you through your highs and lows. Remind yourself always that when you feel tested, you will find it within yourself to rise.

You are made strong.

There is within all of us that no nonsense attitude that says, I can do this. I am not giving up on me, and I am certainly not giving up on you.

Maybe the strong stuff that makes us rise is that casual thing we call LOVE.

Peace be with you.