Perseverance

We have a fish.  One fish.  A single, solitary fish who has outlived a very long line of fish who have dwelled in this very tank that sits in our house.


The fish is a survivor.  Despite temperature changes, other fish that have tried to eat it, a cat that likes to put his paws in the tank, and my husband's brilliant idea to clean its habitat with a bottle of Clorox and a garden hose, this fish has persevered.  


The fish has become a running joke among our friends.  They cannot believe that this fish, who we have admittedly forgotten to feed for weeks at a time, continues to survive.  And thrive.  This fish, this single, solitary fish is the very essence of perseverance.

The very word conjures up a host of images in my mind.  I think of my close friends and family, many of whom are struggling with significant problems in their lives.  And yet, they persevere.

My sister, who will not allow me to post any photographs of her on the internet (lame), is the very definition of the word.  She married in college and gave birth to twins at age 20.  She was divorced seven years later and is now a single mother to my niece and nephew (two of the sweetest children on the planet).  Though she receives no alimony and no child support from her ex who has seemingly vanished from her life and the lives of their children, my sister has persevered.  She will graduate from college in a couple of months and is applying to get her Master's degree in Accounting (or Tax - she hasn't made up her mind just yet).

I am blown away by the strength of her character.

My friend, Stacy, is another person who comes to mind.  She and her husband, David, struggled with infertility for years.  They endured countless visits to the fertility specialists; expensive and expansive laboratory tests;  and multiple fertility treatments over the past three years.  They rejoiced when they saw two pink lines on a pregnancy test.  They waited with bated breath on the lab results that measured Stacy's hormones.  In the span of just days, their hopes and dreams were shattered when they learned that the pregnancy was ectopic.

They persevered and saw another two pink lines on another pregnancy test.  This time was different and they actually heard a heartbeat in the doctor's office.  Not more than a month later, they endured the unimaginable pain of losing the baby.

I was there for the heartache.  I cried with her when she lost both babies.  I got on my knees and I begged God to help my friend.  I walked hand in hand with her as she persevered.  I researched all things fertility related.  I helped with her injections when her husband was out of town.  I waited with her during the agonizing and dreaded "two week wait."  And I cried tears of joy when I got the call.  

Stacy is due with their little girl, Lauren, in six weeks.  I took this picture of her (with one of my law partners) just before Halloween.

This baby bump makes my heart leap with joy for Stacy, her husband and her son.

My baby brother, Michael, is another example of perseverance.  Though I am loathe to admit this out loud, Michael is by far the smartest of the siblings.  Though I consider myself reasonably intelligent (despite my lack of familiarity with the term "impecunious" as discussed in an earlier post), my baby brother makes me look like a 5th grader.  He came out of the womb doing algebra.  I kid you not.  He is handsome, personable, and brilliant.  And he wanted more than anything to follow in my father's footsteps and obtain an MBA from Harvard University.  He worked his ass off at the University of Georgia -- obtaining a GPA that was slightly higher than his older sister's.  (I attribute that, by the way, to the fact that my 3 A's from Georgia State University did not transfer to the University of South Carolina in calculating my GPA.  Dammit.)

He kicked the GMAT's ass.  He got accepted into a well-regarded training program with a very well regarded company and has excelled every step of the way.

He is a force to be reckoned with, this baby brother of mine.

He found out this week that he will not be attending Harvard University.

Though understandably disappointed, I am confident that he will persevere.  Michael has an interview in December with the University of Virginia.  I know he'll do great.  Because he's great.  I love him more than he realizes.

We all struggle with difficulties in our lives, whether we have problems in our marriages, difficulties with our children, or troubles in our careers.  We will all be brought to our knees by heartache and disappointment in our lives.  I can think of at least a dozen circumstances in my past when I truly wondered how I could possibly recover from whatever setback I was facing.  But I did.  Recover.  And I did so with the help of my faith, the love of my family, and the support from my friends.

I know I will stumble again.

And again I will persevere.  It's in my blood.  Just ask my family.