I almost gave up.
This last year, 2015 was by far the year I have struggled with the most out of all the years in my short 27 years of living. I'm not going to say the entire year was shit, because it wasn't. I had some amazing thing happen last year also.
But as a complete whole, the majority of last year was rocky.
I'm not exactly sure when I realized my "Ah Ha!" moment became a thing, but it did. Probably the new year had something to do with it, and probably all the folks with the memes jabbing how the gyms are always full with new people, then a few weeks later return to the same low number. Maybe it sparked my ambition, I dunno.
The year 2015 did something to me. It made me realize that my life up until those difficult moments was being lived ignorantly, and blindly. I was so incredibly oblivious to the "normality" of everyday life, having very little desire to escape my home, meet up with friends, or even volunteer my bottom loads of time to help the community. I was a dependent hermit, who hated being alone.
And sadly, I was completely and one hundred percent okay with that....or so I thought.
I really take those sayings about "In order to have the high moments, you have to experience the low moments in life as well" to heart. There's a bunch of them out there, and they all basically mean the same thing. In order to experience being happy, you also need experience being sad.
And that's exactly what happened to me in 2015. I was "sad" for most of the year, beginning in April when one of our beloved kitties fell deathly ill. My life during those moments was completely shattered. My heart was aching, and I felt so weak and unable to fully process what was happening to myself during those troubling moments.
I almost gave up.
My husband and I almost made the decision to put our very sick kitty to sleep, so she wouldn't suffer anymore. So we wouldn't suffer emotionally and financially anymore.
I almost gave up...hope.
I'd call this ultimately incredible low moment in my life a blessing in disguise. It made me so much more aware of life, and how ignorant and honestly STUPID I was to the outside world. Because I had been living this perfect little happy pappy fairy tale of a housewife for so long. Realistically speaking, I wasn't even slightly ready for something life changing as what happened to our kitty.
It was almost like a snowball effect, or when it rains it pours type of deal. One not-so-great thing happened again and again. A health scare, a diagnosis, another financial crisis, another health scare, etc. This year brought the most challenges into our lives than any other year had so far.
I almost gave up.
There were times I just wanted to run away, back to my parent's home and hide in the closet for all eternity. Not having a desire to deal with the world, not existing in the reality of things. Just breathing.
I almost gave up...my ambition.
I don't think I've ever cried as much as I did last year, never felt as much hurt and pain. To be so incredibly LOW, and have absolutely ZERO desire at all to even get out of bed.
I almost gave up..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
BUT...I didn't.
In a way I believe it's a GOOD thing for not-so-great things to happen to people, in a certain period in their lives. I think some people really NEED a good kick in the pants. To show them just how wonderful and amazing life can be when you take away from the bad and turn those terrible things into something WONDERFUL and SPECIAL.
"When life throws you lemons, make lemonade."
Living with a special needs cat has taught me the ultimate responsibility. Understanding Jubalee (the kitty's) diabetic needs has helped me understand what it's like to care for someone who is very dependent on YOU, and you only. Before Jubalee's diagnosis, I would sleep in until noon, feed the cats whenever, and watch YouTube for hours on end. Now I have a pretty strict schedule, with feedings, testing her glucose, and giving insulin. It's one of the reasons I live for every day. Take it as you will, one person's mountains are another person's grain of sand.
After understanding the reasons WHY I was so sad, and getting diagnosed with severe depression and severe anxiety, it's helped me to become a more AWARE and CAUTIOUS person. To think before I act, and to always always ALWAYS have a plan B and plan C. Things HAPPEN.
I am not the same person I was 3 years ago, or even 2 years ago. Heck I don't even think I'm the same person I was one year ago. I'm not saying that crap "New year, new me!" stuff. I'm thankful for a new year, a fresh start, but I'm also thankful for what happened the prior year.
It's made me the person I am today, and I feel I've become a more forgiving, and ultimately more realistic way of living type of person....a realist.
I am so thankful I am not in denial anymore. Living in denial is probably one of the most scariest, unhealthy ways to think and live ever.
Do yourself a favor and look around you...live realistically, not in a made up fantasy.
