Why does one person survive and another struggle? Two people can have similar things happen to them, abuse, service in the armed forces, an accident, a disease? One seems to deal with it and put it away, some may put it away and let it fester, and in some it festers continuously, with no relief in sight.
We all know friends who struggle to quit a bad habit like smoking, eating, swearing etc. One will decide to change a behavior and it’s done. Another will try over and over again with no satisfaction. The Rolling Stones lamented about their lack of satisfaction.
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get no
He’s tellin’ me more and more about some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
That’s what I say
I can’t get no satisfaction, I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get no
How white my shirts can be
But, he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke
The same cigarettes as me
That’s what I say
“When I’m sitting at the table and a cookie comes sliding across
I don’t think about my A1C, I listen to the cookie say, “listen to me.
”I can’t get no, I can’t get no” 🙂
Talking about the will to survive fired up my thoughts this past week. I have a couple of friends with cancer, another with health issues that are surmountable while challenging, a family member who seems never to be able to move past her past, and a parent who swears he’s ready to die, sitting in a chair apparently waiting for it, while it never comes..
I have been asked many times what helped me. I have to tell you I don’t know. I think my strength and determination helped a lot and not being able to hide from it, because of the close family ties. Maybe some of the genetics, of being the older child in the family, have helped? I have always said that I truly believe that I made a decision to “flip the switch” in my head. It would be horrendous to say that someone will cure their disease by making that decision, but statistics say that the will to live matters. I’ve seen it make a difference, am seeing it now in friends. Your determination, stubbornness, desire, drive….whatever you want to call it, can make a difference on longevity, if you use it to look for other treatments, to drive you to make dietary and emotional changes that may help. I exercise not to lose weight and not because I always enjoy it, but to keep my A1C in check. I have learned to like more salad… (I’m a good farm girl though and bread and cookies are my temptation.)
I have the will to survive; I believe I do. Every situation will tell a different story, and while I hope that I’m not tested, I know it’s coming; some challenge that will push me farther than any other has. I will do my best to survive; I know you will too…
Peace…..
Loving and Surviving 