Endurance...

Every day I see examples of strength... I see it in people like my step-brother... I watched him compete in a triathalon today...a grueling 1/4 mile swim, 18-mile bike ride, 3 1/2 mile run in cold, windy, challenging conditions. What amazed me was the joy in him when he was done...no complaints or concerns about conditions, just pure happiness with a time that put him 4th or 5th in his age group.

But I see strength in other demonstrations, too, those beyond the physical...the mental and emotional ones. So often, it is the women in my life who make me stand up and take notice as they face their daily challenges and then overcome them. I see strength in the moms that I know, who fight for children that face physical and mental challenges; I see it in women who struggle to make marriages work day in and day out, despite what that demands of them; I see it in my friends who face their own emotional challenges, but put their needs behind those of all the others in their lives; I see it in the sacrifices that so many make to ensure that those who surround them have the best of everything.

Generally, I think most of us believe that we do not have the strength to meet all of life's challenges... But what I have learned is that often we just don't know the depth of our own strength until it is tested. We look at those around us and for a moment we are thankful we don't have to deal with all of the things that those others have to handle. While our own problems seem small when compared to others, I have also found that everyone has their own "thing" to manage. And I have also determined that when tested, we rarely fail to meet those challenges... So, like my step-brother, face the challenges head-on and don't forget to take a moment to celebrate the achievements.