One more sucker punch today just to see if I could handle one more. Bring it on! I am getting stronger by the day, it seems, in an endless line of losses and absolutely ridiculous attacks to bring me down.

I guess when you have faced life mostly alone as an adult, raised your two sons solo, and never made what would appear to be a minimum living, you do learn to toughen up. For years I felt like my emotions ruled me, but I am now noticing they are a gift from God, which when I use them appropriately and for His purposes, are also a gift to others.

I hear from many friends that this blog is an inspiration to them and they encourage me to keep writing. I really never thought anyone was reading it and I was just practicing over the past two years. I have come to the point where the practice has become part of my life.

There is no number on the amount of times we can be knocked down and get back up again. Personally, I have lost count. I often tell my friends of a certain age that I am like the proverbial Joe Paluka punching bag of my youth….. there was a layer of sand at the bottom of a child-sized plastic blowup character and kids, mostly boys as I recall, practiced getting out their frustration on it. Whatever punches they delivered, he went down but he popped right back up…as if to say “yeah, you thought that would take me out, huh? Well you were wrong! What else you got?”

I know that I am not alone in feeling like I am starting over at a point where I had hoped I would be slowing down, not speeding up! We are a tenacious bunch, and we will live to see ourselves at the front of the pack, as we continue to run the race that is set before us. I think it is only when I see how many are close by my side in the exact same race that I am encouraged to keep running, and if I falter it will be one of them who will catch me and encourage me on. I am very blessed indeed.