To Everyone Who's Giving Their Best Even Though They're Struggling

Dec 11, 2018 by apost team

You likely know someone, or you are perhaps that someone, who’s faced trying situations with dignity and diligence that’s gone unrecognized by others. This is for those people. They do exist and should know that they are seen and appreciated.

Heroes of everyday life

My neighbor is single-parent of two children, one of whom was born with special needs. Her husband found the plight of doctor appointments, wheelchairs, and feeding tubes too difficult and therefore abandoned them. Meanwhile, my neighbor works tirelessly to care for and support her children on her own.

I have a coworker in the reverse role of a single father. His wife opted for a life of drugs and alcohol over being a wife and mother. He’s been left to deal with all the responsibilities, including assuring them that they aren’t to blame for their mother’s irresponsible actions.

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As I was driving last Saturday morning, I passed a jogger. He was clearly struggling, soaking wet, and red-faced. Yet, he continued to put one foot in front of the other underneath a body that must’ve weighed at least 300 pounds. It was early; the sun hadn’t even fully come up. He could’ve been in bed. He could’ve given up with the rude car horns and slurs yelled at him. Yet, there he was continuing onward to try to make his life better.

I attended a funeral a couple of months ago to support the aunt of a young man who died of an overdose. Being born to a using addict mother, the young man’s journey with addiction began before ever taking his first breath. It was a long road of successes and failures with addiction, but his life ultimately ended and will forever be defined by an addiction that began without his choice. Speakers at the funeral who knew him praised all his endless hard work, volunteerism, and kindnesses they’d witnessed. Yet, to the outside world, he will likely be remembered as little more than another failed addict.

You’ll likely never hear any of the names of the amazing individuals above. They’ll likely never have a Facebook fan following or be interviewed by some magazine or reporter. Their blogs won’t blow up because they’ve stayed to do the hard job, embraced responsibility, tackled perseverance, or died trying.

After all, society glorifies the beautiful and tangibly measurable talent. Whether it’s athletics, academics, physical appearance, or political and business success, we make role models out of tangible and visible models of success. That’s not to put these accomplishments down or moot their merit, but it is to say that there’s more to glorify than just the ideal within society.

Here and now, though, the people who have/are struggling with life’s unfair hand and are working tirelessly to change it have someone recognizing they work harder at life than I and most others do daily.

Life Is Messy

Life isn’t the ideal for many. It’s messy. It’s complex and multi-faceted. It’s unjust and unfair. It’s not a straight and narrow path to victory. Not everyone gets to soak up the limelight as one of the people who raced to the top of the mountain and waved the flag around. For many, they’re just the ones digging into the rock face and clawing their way forward through unimaginable obstacles.

Yes, you sometimes face trials of your own making, but often times you face trials through no fault of your own. Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that we are surrounded by people facing unfair circumstances and who are fighting to make the most of it. We can all learn from these people, and they deserve our respect, support, and praise. They don’t deserve to be overlooked and cast aside as the ‘wrong measure’ of success.

Know That You’re Seen And Appreciated If

• You’re doing your best to raise your children without the support of the one who helped you create them.
• You’re working multiple jobs to provide for your family and give them a better life.
• You’re caring for a special needs child.
• You’re caring for an ailing or elderly loved one.
• You’re trying to overcome the cycle of addiction.
• You’re trying to help yourself or a loved one manage mental illness.
• You’re trying to overcome the cycle of poverty and give yourself and children more opportunities and stability.
• You’re trying to change unhealthy lifestyles that have impacted your health, finances, and relationships.
• You’re a victim trying to start over after abuse, neglect, discrimination, or violence.
• You’re a survivor of a lost loved one.
• You’re in the fight of your life against illness and disease attacking your own body or that of a family member.
• You’re trying to overcome betrayal that’s left you emotionally, physically, or financially devastated.
• You’re getting back up after life has knocked you down due to any circumstance.

Here’s to all of you. Thank you for working hard to make life better for you and everyone around you. It’s you, the ones who work behind the scenes without fame or applause, that make the world better for all of us. You’re an inspiration, and we see you!

Do you know someone working hard to overcome life’s struggles? Leave them a supportive comment. Or maybe you have your own story of trials and perseverance? We’d love to hear it in the comments and be inspired by it!