Having Faith In Tough Times

(Disclosure: I am proud to be working with Brawny® on a series of sponsored posts as they inspire people to be “Tough to the Core.”)

The summer before I headed into my Senior year of High School my life completely changed. My {step}mom had been complaining she didn’t feel well and within a couple days she was in the hospital fighting for her life. She had Viral Encephalitis and was in a coma and the cause was thought to be West Nile virus. After weeks she came out of the hospital but the swelling in her brain had caused brain damage and she was never the same. She developed a seizure disorder, suffered from memory loss, battled depression and had noticeable personality changes.

For nine years my mom battled Epilepsy until it took her life in June of 2009. She truly taught me a lot about life and was tough to the very end, never letting her illness dictate her life. My mom spent hours a day fighting back against memory loss by writing down everything, doing memory boosting activities and trying to strengthen her memory retention skills. She also tried different medicines and procedures to get her seizures under control. She strived to keep her life, and her children’s lives, as normal as possible and she was sure that by trying as hard as she could, she’d succeed.

Every day was spent reading the Bible, listening to encouraging speakers and immersed in Bible studies. Her Faith never wavered. She believed that she would get better. Having Epilepsy she was not allowed to drive and this was probably one of the hardest things for her to accept. Her Doctor had told her that once she went at least 6 months without a seizure she would be allowed to drive again. Every time I talked to her she told me that she would be driving soon and then every seizure she had she started the countdown clock again. For over 9 years she kept a positive attitude and believed that she would be able to drive in her near future. I really think she’s up in Heaven cruising around in her sports car!

I try to teach this same strength to my kids. I want them to remain positive in the face of struggles and have faith even when it’s hard to. I think these two things can get my children through any tough situation they encounter.

Thanks to Brawny® for encouraging these conversations. Want more information on how to be tough to the core? Check out the inspiration video series featuring Everyday Heroes from Brawny® and connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.