Five Minute Friday: Remember........

Today I'm linking up to Lisa-Jo aka the gypsy mama, who chooses a topic every Friday and writes for five minutes. 

Only five minutes

And the rule is that whatever you write about in that five minutes is what you posts. No editing your thoughts. Today, her topic choice is "Remember....."

Ready. Set. Go......

This morning as I was drying my hair, I noticed far more gray hairs than I normally do. And by a few, I guess I should be honest and say a lot. I usually color those little hints of aging but have not done so in a couple of months. Then this morning, they decided to show themselves in all their glory. As I glanced at the silver and white strands that are not a welcome reminder of my age, a thought came to my mind and caused me to remember......

I remember thinking when I was younger that gray hair was caused by stress or trauma. I always thought kids and the situations they found themselves in would cause their parents to get gray too. I don't know if that is true or not but I did think back on lots of those times in my life that surely play a factor in all the silver and white showing up this morning.

I remember the struggles I had with my kids getting older and learning to give them their wings to fly and hope they held on to their roots. I remember the lowest point in my life and that of  someone very close to me, where I was at the lowest point I could possibly be. There was no light in sight and feeling of utter despair and helplessness consumed me. I remember caring for my dying mother in law who passed away from breast cancer. I remember the feelings of helplessness I felt and feeling like I could not do enough in the hopes of saving her from what was surely to come. I remember all the times throughout my life when members of family caused so much hurt  and disappointment, that the sting still lingers a bit. I remember the unexplainable hurt in my heart when I found out my own father had passed away. The emptiness that evoked from years of his absence and the hope of reconciling our differences gone with no regard.  I remember all the times I did everything I could to prove not only to the world but to  myself that I was important and deserved to be valued.

......and then I remembered all of these struggles, hurts and stresses that most would certainly say was a great cause of lots of gray hairs all had one thing in common. Every. Single. one of these were overcome. Not only were they overcome but  I made it through the dark times and found my way back to the light. When all hope was lost and I wanted to give up....somehow, someway....I dug deep and kept on going.

With that thought in mind, I sorta looked at those silver and white hairs on my head a bit differently. Sure they still are a reminder that I am not as  young as I used to be, but they also cause me to remember that everything that could have caused them was a learning experience and a struggle that was overcome.  By remembering I am encouraged that all future struggles can be overcome as well. After all, all I have to do is look in the mirror, the reminder is certainly there.  STOP.