What are you willing to give?

All in together the weather is better than ever. I hope it never ends I hope it lasts forever. But when it does, we can all pretend that it's better than it's ever been...

We all go through things. It's life. When things are up, they can be really good. When things are down, it can get dicey. The rest of the time you're floating somewhere along the continuum. And that's fine while it lasts. But what happens when things get real rough? Not sandpaper rough. Not gravel rough. I'm talkin' boneyard rough. When your normal "I'll be alright" or "This will pass" doesn't work anymore. When you're tired of being a dog without a day. When you start to shut down...

Sometimes you just need someone to tell you it's ok. Maybe not make things ok. But sometimes just the words help. Just that extra little push that can take you to tomorrow when you thought you were going to lose it tonight. It helps to know someone is behind you. Someone who knows you and believes in your ability to persevere and bounce back. That, in and of itself can help you push through. Knowing that someone has your back even when you can't have it yourself.

Trust me, it's not easy to put your own issues on the back burner to help someone else with theirs. I mean let's face it, we all have shit to deal with. I've realized that being a friend/son/brother/cousin/supervisor/any other role you play in another's life comes with significant responsibility. Let me qualify that. Being a good [anyone of those] comes with siginificant responsibility. You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot for those you love. You have to be willing to not come first for a change. I honestly believe that if you're ok taking silver every now and then someone else will give you their gold. And if they don't, then helping them should be a victory unto itself. I'm not saying give all of yourself. You gotta keep something. But also remember that not everything you have is for you.

This year I'm thankful for everyone who let me come first. Happy Thanksgiving!