Tags
Blogging, Family, Journaling, Memories & Reflections, Saturday Sound Bites, Uncategorized, Writing Prompts
List four times you continued to try even though the odds were against you.
`
Apparently it’s always been about family for me…
1. Getting pregnant. It was a roller coaster ride for us and took us six years. It ended with a miscarriage. We were devastated but kept trying. And four months later I was expecting our son Brandon. Unfortunately we found out there would be no other babies. A low blow for his nibs who was counting on a baseball team!
2. Being a stay-at-home-mom. I had made a vow to myself while still in high school that I would not let my kids be latchkey kids. So since we knew there would be no more kiddos, I took a leap of faith and quit a good job with RCA Victor and spent the next ten years at home with only ONE pot to piddle in! It was ok, though. We took turns. 😉
3. Adopting. Eventually, and primarily through the influence of supporting three children through Compassion International (which I HIGHLY recommend for anyone interested in doing that — they are extremely accountable for where your money goes), we decided we didn’t want to raise Brandon alone so we pursued foreign adoption. (Why foreign? See this series of posts.) We were trying to adopt a little girl from China. But before the adoption could be complete, his nibs and I were past the age for them to allow us to adopt. Finally we spun the wheel and asked Holt International Children’s Services (whom we adore and were marvelous) where was the quickest country we could adopt from as we were facing the age restraints. They said India, and within three months we had a picture of our wonderful daughter Kavitha. God knew exactly who to send to us. She couldn’t be more like his nibs if’n she were our own! 😀
4. Getting a BA. Not for me but for Arn. Though we both had business degrees from a business school, he had always wanted to go to Weber State and get a BA in Finance. So we scrounged up the money for him to go — for 15 years part-time while he worked full-time, played dad, little league coach, deacon at church, hubby… At 13 years he thought he was done, but found out he had neglected to file for his minor. And by then the course requirements had changed. He was ready to just give up, but I pushed and pushed until he agreed to keep at it. Two years later he was holding that degree in his hands.
`
This was a really interesting topic!!! I’d never thought about this stuff that way…
What about you? What have you not given up on, even IF it didn’t come to pass?
`
`
Picture Sources:
Quote — Echo-Lit
Family — KinYu-Z.net
Impromptu Promptlings 
I agree with what Martha said. It was so soulful to read: life to be truly proud of.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought it was a really great question. Made me have to really think. And I was pleased to feel we haven’t had a LOT of difficulties in our life. Just some LONG ones!
LikeLiked by 1 person
1. Took a chance on love; 1990s when I first went online, met a guy in a forum, and we became fast friends, and six years later, met in real time, and he asked for my hand, and I said yes. While that’s what we all do, I was taking a chance after a failed engagement back in the 70s, with someone I’d met long distance also (a soldier during the Vietnam war), when that ended after the guy smacked me… first and last time. So meeting long distance and not really knowing if things just turn out the way the first one did, I went ahead and met him, and married him, and it’s 21 years ago now, this coming Tuesday. 🙂
2. Even in the midst of Panic turmoil, terrified to leave my home town, I got on a train and went out to visit another friend (883 miles away) I’d met online. We’re still friends 21 years later, and she helped me through the fear.
3. In college, in my last year working toward my Bachelor’s degree, I needed to do a class over to pass and graduate. Not wanting to stick around in NY, I called Colorado State University which also had an OT program, and asked if they offered that class. Was told yes, at which point I told my advisor I was going out there for the final class, to which he said no, but I said, I go or I quit. So I packed up my little car, drove across country, and when I go there, was told at CSU that there was no room left in the class. Went to talk to the professor, told her I came out all this way on the say so of the of a rep of the University, and she let me into her class.
4. Was diagnosed with a condition which basically was terminal, but refused the treatment which was out at that time because it did not cure my ‘type’ of the condition. Flash forward 8 years, and a supposed new drug was out, and claimed that it would work for my ‘type.’ Took the chance, knowing the possibility that it might now and I’d end up like too many, with worse and more deadly results, but went ahead anyway, and was cleared for this condition six months later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Anniversary to the pair of you!!! Any special plans? I forgot to ask. And I am so thrilled to have watched you go for that cure. Given your misgivings you were veryr courageous! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have an anniversary ritual. First thing we watch our wedding (it was taped), then we go over to the place where the ceremony took place and hang out a bit, remembering all the nuances of the day. We go out to eat, and finally watch our Anniversary Wheel Movie – “You’ve Got Mail” because as I said, we met online. 🙂
Last year on our 20th, I thought it would be fun to go to the place we stayed on our wedding night, but we never got to do that. Though on our 10th Anniversary we actually stayed at the Inn where we got married.
Thank you for the good wishes! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like you, adoption was a biggie for us. Took us 15 years rand a huge amount of emotional pain to finally be blessed with our two boys.
And interestingly, like your nibs, I studied for my Masters of MH Nursing very part-time whist working full time and raising two small children. I guess that’s perseverance.
Oh – and it would be so remiss of me not to mention the boat built in our back yard over a period of 20+ years.
Aaaaaaaaaaand the never-ending house renovation that is still going…….we’ve lived here for 40 years!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seriously! You guys built that beautiful boat in your backyard? That’s like Jethro Gibbs building one in his basement on NCIS! But you didn’t have to take a wall out to move it! LOL Didn’t know you guys built that. Impressive! If I ever make it over there I’m counting on a sail!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s the story – https://soulgifts.com.au/2015/10/06/a-boat-in-the-backyard/
LikeLiked by 1 person
And TRH takes great delight in showing her off. Likewise the Black Beast if you’re yearning to be a bikie moll experience 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a beautiful post, Cheryl. It all made me feel close to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well then, I hope it opens the door for others to be themselves on these blogs rather than just creating a fantasy of who they want to be. The connections we make on here are certainly not trivial. I feel very close to all of you guys, too. You’ve been very accepting of my nutty idiosyncrasies. Makes me feel almost normal! LOL 😉 Thanks, Martha. ❤
LikeLike
I started writing in 1971. I worked out back then that a novel took me between 2000 and 3000 hours. I’ve got a bit faster at it but I’ve written 50+. I have a drawer of rejection slips. I had, on three occasions, publishers who were going to publish and each time some unexpected thing has come along not connected to the book. I have written over 50 books, which is quite an investment of time and energy to the detriment of many other things, and have only had two of my things properly published. I now self-publish and do not bother sending my books off. Undaunted I am a third of the way into yet another Sci-fi novel which is going along nicely at present. I think its my 56th book. Might be more. I’ll have to have a count up. Anyway – it demonstrates perseverance!!
I enjoy writing and have some faith in my abilities.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well if anyone knows about perseverance, Opher, it’s be you! You are like the bloomin’ Energizer Bunny! You just keep going and going and going! You are one of my heroes! 😉
LikeLike