Lesson in Resilience

As this year draws to an end, I look back not at the calendar but at those moments that tested, shaped, and defined me. For me, 2024 was not a year of great victories or celebrations in grand style. It was the quiet battles fought in the stillness of everyday life that gave lessons which have left an indelible mark on my soul.

The story that stands out began early this year when I found myself overwhelmed by the weight of juggling motherhood, writing, and financial uncertainty. I am a mother of three, with little ones who depend on me for everything. Add to that my passion for writing-something I leaned into to escape the chaos and make sense of my thoughts. Yet, at times, even my writing felt heavy, as I would question if I was doing enough or if my words even mattered.

The tipping point was a particularly exhausting week. The deadlines were piling up, the child was sick and in need of my full attention, and the car broke down, which left me stranded in so many ways. I remember sitting in my living room after everyone had gone to bed, staring at a blinking cursor on my laptop. I felt like a failure—not just as a writer, but as a mother and a provider.

That night, I discovered a journal I'd kept years in the past. As I flipped through its pages, I read an entry from a time much like now, but having a very different perspective. My tear-stained words read so plainly yet profoundly from my younger years:

"This moment is not the end. It's a bend in the road. Keep walking."

Those words struck me like a bolt of lightning. I had been so focused on everything that went wrong that I forgot what was cultivated in me after all those struggles. That entry reminded me that I had struggled before and come out stronger, not because life got easier but because I kept moving forward.

The insight that came that night changed everything. Resilience is not about being unshakeable; it's finding the strength to take one step, then another, when the road is uncertain. It means you can be overwhelmed without that being the definition of who you are.

I decided to start small. I pared down what truly mattered: my children's well-being, one writing project that filled me with purpose, and learning to take help when it was offered. Slowly, the noise quieted, and I began to feel lighter. I didn't fix everything overnight, but I learned to celebrate the small victories: a finished article, a laugh shared with my kids, a good night's sleep.

By mid-year, I began to see the fruits of my perseverance. My writing started gaining traction, bringing in a modest but steady income. More importantly, I started to believe in myself again. I also learned that asking for help—whether from friends, family, or even strangers—wasn't a sign of weakness but of strength.

As I close out 2024, I carry with me this profound lesson: resilience is a practice, not a personality trait. It’s something we build, moment by moment, when we choose to keep going despite the odds. I’ve also come to see struggles not as roadblocks but as teachers, offering lessons we might not otherwise learn.

To anyone reflecting on their own year, I offer this: whatever you faced, whatever you overcame, it matters. Every small step you took in the face of difficulty is a testament to your strength. Celebrate those steps. They are the foundation for the victories yet to come.

The approaching New Year, 2025, finds me prepared not because I know what is ahead, but because I am confident I will meet whatever is waiting with the same resilience that has brought me through this year. And you can too.

Let's walk into the new year together, with hope in our hearts and the courage to keep moving forward.