Persevere

I had a breakdown today. You know, one of those full on crying in public for an extended period of time episodes. The cable guy, with a very concerned look, had to ask me if I was ok-- as I sat in the photo center at CVS sobbing while Katlyn stood beside me, and Ali lay on the floor next to me screaming.

It was picturesque--it really was. I'm certain everyone that walked past thought, "What the heck is wrong with that lady?" But I was past the point of caring what they thought, and past the point of being able to control my emotions. I was defeated. It was 1pm, and I had spent the last 5 hours attempting to get pics off my phone for a project Andrew has due in the morning. It (my phone) is the only source of pics I have right now and after hours of searching and dowloading apps, and receiving error after error, I restarted my phone one more time, only to be told that my memory had been compromised and I'd pretty much lost everything---insert point of breakdown--in the photo center--in the middle of CVS.

Now I'm certain, and you could probably guess, that my breakdown was not just the upset of a 6th grade social studies project. It was more a culmination of stresses which in that moment, came together and overwhelmed my somewhat fragile feeling. Yes, Colonel Mustard, I know. It's about time I get a new feeling!

So what did I do that got me from the CVS public cryfest to here? Well first, I took the girls to the car and cried some more. Then I prayed and restarted my phone again. Then we marched back into CVS --not even a little ashamed, and after another hour we marched back out with our photos in hand. We picked up Andrew, put together a project and fixed dinner.

Persrverance: The quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult.

Do you know the key to perseverance?

Work!

It is ok (well Colonel Mustard might disagree) to break down and cry SO LONG AS you pick yourself up and GET TO WORK!

An invaluable lesson taught to me by my unethical, child labor weilding, nazi parents. And I couldn't be more grateful.

When everything is falling apart at the seams, and I feel like I can't go on, their voices in my head chide me to get to work and focus on accomplishing the few things I have the control to change. Somehow, this action of exerting effort has the unseen ability to affect change in areas of which you have little or no control. Or maybe you are just busy and forget your problems until they solve themselves. The former explanation sounded more poetic though!

Thanks Mom and Dad. People might think I'm crazy, but one way or another, I can get it done.

So here's praying that I am a mean enough Mom to give my children the tools they need to pick themselves up off the floor at CVS and take care of business!

**And don't tell your father you were on the floor at CVS--ain't nobody got time for that!