Do you ever feel that way? Like you live a semi-charmed life (no major tragedies or heavy trials to bear), but some days still just feel … hard?
I don’t know if it’s just my general aversion to January (see here for a refresher that may make you feel a little better about yourself if you suffer from the same winter-hating malady that I do), but this has been a rough week. I admit that it’s totally a first-world-problems kind of rough, but it has still felt hard.
Anyway, when I was mulling over my own thoughts this morning, I remembered a quote from a novel I read recently, so I went and looked it up. It renewed my hope a little bit and made me feel up to the task–however silly it might be–of just surviving a series of bad days. Thought I’d pass it along in case it feels helpful to anyone else.
Goodbye, January, and good riddance!
Diapers and Divinity 
Ooh man. You have no idea how happy I was to wake up this morning and realize that it is NOT January anymore!
Nice reminder. I have felt the same, and won’t miss January one bit!
Yes, good riddance, January! It has been a long, dreary, hard couple of weeks in this house, and i am glad to move on. Although, it was -12 when the girls got on the bus this morning, which sort of makes me crazy. But, I must summon some energy and carry on. Spring will be here soon!
I love the quote. Thanks for sharing!
I love that book!
Thanks for the reminder that we shouldn’t feel like less of a person just because we have a hard time dealing with seemingly small challenges. The challenges we have are specifically made for us, and we can’t compare those to others’ challenges. I also believe that our challenges are always for our good. I read a post on a blog recently which expresses this idea better than I can.
http://temporaryinsanitybykym.com/2012/12/broken/
Check out my comment on it too.
I needed this reminder today. Thank you.
I have thought about this, too. My conclusion is that we are each taking a personalized test. I am reminded of this when someone says”I don’t know how you can handle that!” about something that isn’t such a big deal to me. It is especially noteworthy when I feel the same about that persons trials!
Oh my goodness, I needed this reminder today! Thank you for posting! It is so true. I am so much better at tackling the ‘big things’ than the ‘little things’ that make the day hard. Again, thanks!
I love the quote! January always drudges on for me as well. It is so fun and exciting in the beginning and by the end all I want is for it to be over with. Funny how that works isn’t it? Thanks for sharing! Your awesome!
The tradegidies in life that completely change who e are. The quote was written within the context of the liberality jail He could not and would not ever been the same,. I need to be that way too. So being so afriad.I need to be different.,
The things that help me are to count my blessings, even though I don’t want to. Start small: “I’m glad that my kids didn’t dump out ALL the milk.”
And if I find that I don’t want to count my blessings b/c I’m afraid that if I don’t remember the bad things then they’ll never get fixed…. I remind myself that if the bad things never get fixed, it’s OK as long as I know how to focus on the positive things.
Also, lots of scriptures and prayer. Light chases out the darkness!
I’ve never been diagnosed, but the way I feel awful every winter makes me pretty sure I suffer from SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. The smaller amount of sunlight in the winter triggers an annual depression cycle.
Knowing that you are clinically depressed is helpful, in that it helps you understand that it’s not entirely your fault, it’s b/c your brain chemistry is out of balance. But I also wonder sometimes if I hide behind the label too much, or would be happier if I just expected myself to be. I’m wonderful about living up to expectations, especially my own!
Sorry if you didn’t want a ton of advice. I just can’t help but share the things that are helping me, when I hear someone else struggling with the same problem! I hope you find some joy soon!
I need to get to the petty trials part first, and I let you know. Hahahaha…
What a great quote. An excellent reminder! I’m totally going to share. Thanks!
I have depression. I’ve been fighting with it for some 10+ years, and January never fails to disappoint. 🙂 That having been said, behold, my favorite quote:
“I am blessed, personally, beyond measure, and yet oddly enough, I, too, struggle to feel His love for me every day. When I stack my obstacles against others’ they seem too frivolous to be authentic. And yet, this mortal existence is designed by a genius, so that we all, no matter our circumstances or parentage or gifts, have to exercise our agency to come to Him. And so though my problems may seem small to an outsider, they are big enough for me to desperately need Him.”
(Virgina H. Pearce, “A Heart Like His”)
Thanks for sharing that quote, today was the kind of day I really needed to be reminded to laugh at (or, let’s be honest, ALONG WITH) my petty hazards!
You make me want to read that book again! I haven’t read it since I was a kid.
Also, I love the book Melody quoted! I’ve been thinking all month about enlarging my heart 🙂