Today I Love Tenacity

December 5, 2022

It's that time of year again. 

Christmas is calling, we are all fighting various stages of a plethora of illnesses, and there are

So.

Many.

Distractions.

So many tasks and commitments and choices for how we ought to fill our time. It's difficult to get all that we think we need to do accomplished in the span of one day, and frankly it's very tempting to just not even try. 

But...I have this one student who today reminded me of the power of tenacity. This student battles distractions, too, but he has a goal this year. It's been tough, the distractions have been many, and a few lower than desirable grades have been getting in his way. He came to me today asking about an assignment that was due weeks ago. Rather than have him do the work specific to that assignment, that no longer had purpose for him, I asked him a few questions to help him do the same work (color-coding a locker sign to help memorize a verse) but for a more relevant and more recent verse. He came back after school with this and explained what each color stood for. He was proud of himself and said so much to me. That made me even more proud of him and for him. 

I've known this student for two and a half years. Not trying was a big part of his story when I first met him. It amazes me how far he has come in changing his "it doesn't matter" outlook to one of dedication and commitment. Today I love the tenacity this young man is developing. It will help him along the path to reaching his goals, both now in middle school, and more importantly, as he becomes a man upon whom others will be able to depend. 

Where do you need some tenacity, friends? Where do you need some good old fashioned "sticktoitiveness"? 

Who will be depending on you?

Here's hoping my student inspires you to keep after whatever goals you've set for yourself. 

❤️

#tenacity

Today I Love Tenacity...Slice of Life Tuesday Challenge

Today I am joining the folks at Two Writing Teachers for the Slice of Life Tuesday Challenge...come on over and check it out! Thanks, Ruth and Stacey!

 

                                   Today I Love tenacity.
 

 

This is my cousin, Blaine.  

      I know he looks like a grown man, but scientifically he is an infant.  He now considers May 14 his new birthday.  He has been fighting Multiple Myeloma for several months now, and is just heading back to work this coming Monday.  I am so proud of him and his entire family for how hard they have all fought this battle.  I will allow him to tell his own story, and fill you in on why he is an "infant".  Friends...even if you don't read the whole thing...please know that tenacity counts.  It is what keeps your head above water when it seems you are ready to drown in whatever it is life has tossed your way.  No matter the situation you are in right now, dig deep and keep fighting!  You can do it!  Here are his words, which are much better than mine today:

Overcame Multiple myeloma            

May 14 with Alice Keener-Williams in Hollings Cancer Center at the               Medical University of South Carolina
Received Stem Cell Transplant. May 14 marks my new birthday. It was the day of my stem cell transplant. They call it this because so many things in your body are killed off by the chemo and must start over, they much like a newborn baby.

I came very close to dying after this procedure. I had an infection that the doctors could not locate. My temperature exceeded 104 degrees. They had me packed in ice and it still would not come down.

A new doctor took over my case and it made all the difference in the World. He is the head of the cancer floor at MUSC. His name is Dr. Stuart and he too is a cancer survivor.

The first thing he did was remove my central line. That is where the infection was. Three days later I was almost fully recovered.

Living through an event like this gives you a totally new perspective on life. You realize that life is precious and should not be taken for granted.

The intense chemo treatment they give you caused me to lose all my hair. When it started coming out, it came out in big clumps. I pulled most of it out and then my mother shaved the rest off. (See Picture)

I want to thank my mother for the loving care she provided me while I was going through this process. I couldn't have made it without her.

I ant to thank my family for their perseverance and tenacity through this. Especially my wife. She had the arduous task of maintaining the farm and taking care of our daughter. This was complicated more by the fact that she also had to work.

When she worked on the weekends, my daughter stayed with friends. It was especially tough on her to be stuck at home while I was going through my most challenging times. She stayed in contact with the doctors and nurses during this time and prayed.

My son stayed with my Sister in WV. He enjoyed his stay so much he didn't want to come home.

Now that we are back together as a family, I thank God that we are together again.

When you go through an experience like this, you cannot do it alone. You learn that it is not you alone who is the cancer survivor... We are all survivors.