A Year of Challenges

It's difficult to know where to begin with my story......

I have been raising a child with ASD, ADHD, and CVS on my own. My ex-husband chose early on in our son's life not to be a part of it. His behavior and attitude towards him was emotionally distancing, cold, and inhumane to say the least. So we divorced and my son and I have been a family ever since.

This past year has been one of the most challenging yet for our family. We had a fire at our house and lost almost all of our belongings. We have lived in two hotels and a one bedroom, furnished apartment while our house was being repaired. I can't describe nor express how emotionally draining all of this is on a person who is dealing with the insurance company, trying to be a single mother, and working a full time job all at the same time.

There have been days and nights that have gone by where I have wondered how in the world I can go on. My family and friends have been there for me through all of this, but at the end of the day it was all up to me to figure everything out and to persevere.

My son has several medical conditions that require a lot of specialists, time, medicine, and money. Even though I had a good support system, I would still have to take my son to most of his appointments. I would certainly try to schedule appointments after work and school, but I was not always successful. When I had to take leave from my job to take care of my son, I had to deal with discrimination for being his only parent and missing work.

Meanwhile, I have had to maintain constant supervision with my insurance company trying to get my house repaired and trying to get money for all of our lost personal property. Just dealing with them caused me a lot of frustration and anger. There was no empathy for what we were dealing with and for reimbursing us for basic supplies and necessities. The adjuster was not local and did not keep me informed of any part of this process. Everything was last minute and I would have to make constant phone calls about where we were in the process and when we might be able to get back into our home.

We are finally back in our home but we have not recovered from the financial loss of the fire. I haven't received even a 1/4 of the money from the loss of our personal property. But I feel blessed because God has shown me during this year, that when one door closes another one opens. I can't explain the why and how of this process but I know there are some places were aren't meant to be, some jobs were aren't meant to have, and some outcomes that don't turn out like we expected.

I am writing this story not for the purpose of sympathy but for hope. Hope in the knowledge that you can survive some of the worst possible scenarios and challenges in life. It is very difficult at times and there are days where I just feel like I'm failing miserably. But then I look and reflect on the silver linings in the clouds. It is true that every cloud has a silver lining because this past year of my life is living proof. I am not where I was, but I am moving to the place in life where I am meant to be. There are times in life that we face challenges and adversity and it's our reaction to it that helps us develop our character. We will find out who we are and it's this revelation that helps us move through the challenge and continue to face life each day.

I hope my story is an inspiration for others that are dealing with adversity and challenges in life. Remember that at the end of the day, that your circumstances are only temporary and that you will persevere. Also, remember to never give up hope that things will improve and you will be who you are meant to be.