Greetings! I know it’s been a whole since I’ve made a post but trust me my absence has been justified. My re-location back to the Sunshine State, while necessary, had me contemplating whether or not I bit off more than I could chew. I’ve been working harder than a Taiwanese 8 year old in a shoe factory.
The job I took over has me working the same 10-hour plus days I was working in Chicago. Additionally, the program is in far worse shape than neither I nor anyone else really knew. On a scale of 1-10, coming in, I thought the program was a 5 or 6. Now that I’ve had time to see it for myself, I’ve downgraded it to about a 2 or 3. Going into this job, I thought I was improving and renovating an already sound project. The reality is—is that it’s a rebuilding, restructuring and repairing project, which to this point has been physically and emotionally draining. The kids are great, and they motivate me to put in the time and energy that I do every day, but there’s a lot more to this job than just dealing with them. After questioning whether or not I made the right decision, I decided to accept the challenge, put on my hard hat, pray and get to work.
I’ll be one of the first to admit that I’ve been blessed with intelligence and a strong work ethic and it’s because of these attributes that I’ve met pretty much every challenge I’ve encountered with great optimism. Admittedly, this situation has caused me to question myself and my ability to handle this situation. But as I just stated, I’m ready to work. Dr. King once said, “The true measure of man it not where he stands during moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands during moments of conflict and controversy.” I’m ready for everyone to see where I stand.
What has further complicated things are the challenges I’ve encountered in my family and personal life. My grandmother is seriously ill and has spent approximately a month and a half between a physical therapy center and the hospital. Aside from the emotional strain that is coupled with having an ill relative, is the physical and spiritual strain you experience when you’re one of the primary caregivers of that relative. My mother, despite the large number of siblings she has, is my grandmother’s primary caregiver. Before she went to the hospital she made sure she made every doctor’s appointment, had food in the house and that she had everything she needed and most of what she wanted. Since she was admitted into the hospital, my mother’s responsibilities have greatly increased. She’s also responsible for paying her bills, taking care of the house, her two dogs, keeping the family together and caring for the two school age grandchildren she left behind. Understandably, my mom has been quite overwhelmed, which is a large reason why I decided to come home; to look after my grandmother and make sure my mom keeps her sanity.
I have NO regrets about my decision and get confirmation every day that it was the right decision. I’ve learned over time that the right decisions are often times the hardest decisions to make. I have no grand illusions about my 74 year old grandmother’s health, as she sits in the hospital afflicted with diabetes, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. The doctor’s have made it abundantly clear that it’s a miracle she’s alive today with a heart working at a fraction of its capability. My prayer is that her remaining days are as pain free as possible and that my family begins to come to grips with the inevitable and is comforted during this process.
As far as my personal life goes…that’s a post for another day.
Every challenge in life is an opportunity for greatness. The adversity I’ve experienced as of late has provided me plenty of opportunities, if I overcome, to be great. I welcome the challenge and look forward to the finished product. Until next time (which I promise will be sooner rather than later); Stay Up, Stay Blessed!
No comments:
Post a Comment