Leaning On Not In

I have decided to participate in the National Blog Post Month for November.  That means I am going to be posting each day of November.

November 11, 2013

4:45 p.m.

Today is Veteran’s Day.  Many members of my family have served in all branches of the Armed Forces of our country, the United States of America.  My dad, my uncles, cousins, present and former husbands, and most recently and especially my son. 
Today is the day to celebrate, remember and honor these men and women.

Webster defines a veteran as : someone who has a lot of experience in a particular activity, job, etc.

At one time or another most of us may have to battle through traumatic periods during our lives.  Sometimes we can soldier through those challenging obstacle courses, which can pop up without warning, by digging deep and giving it our all.  
We set the bar high, we veterans of life.  We must live up to what is expected of us.  There should never be a whimper or a cry because we are fighters.  We lean in and we never give up.
But there are those other times, the times when the walls are too high to climb over,  the muck becomes an impasse, and we get bogged down in the details of deciding which path will take us out.  It’s then that we may become veterans of anxiety, pain and sorrow. 
But as we traverse this life of ours, we begin to earn our Life Experience stripes.   
The final and most import medal we are awarded comes at the moment when we finally understand and recognize when the wounds have festered far too long.  
It’s at that moment when we realize it’s time to stop leaning in. It’s at that moment that we learn that it takes more courage to expose our vulnerabilities.   It’s at that moment we know it’s  time to reach out for help.   It’s at the moment when we know we have to lean on in order to continue to go on. 

You’re doing the right thing.