ONE

Is LIFE really so hard? People say LIFE is what you make of it. Can we train our brains to make it easier? Is it through experience that is seems easier? I am 32 years old and I seem to feel that God has allowed many trials in my LIFE to make me who I am, but I also seem to view LIFE differently.....

Honselty right now the relationship with my husband has been challanging, he is suffering from PTSD but we are growing and learning together. LIFE this year has been struggling in many ways....my father in law remains in a coma after suffereing a brain stroke in September 2009, I was pregnant with many complications and delivered 3 weeks early and suffered from post partum depression, my cousin 1 year older than I has stage 4 cancer and is undergoing chemo and radiation, I start my internship (270 hours) in the fall to finish school, my oldest son has ADD and we just found out may be held back. Not to mention being a mother of 4 boys and trying to keep LIFE normal! And of course finances are always a struggle.

When trying to explain what is happening in my LIFE everyone reacts the same...."WOW! That is a lot of stress!" Then it got me thinking....what is stress?....Stress by definition means to experience some sort of physical, mental, or emotional tension. OK...then yes I have stress, but stress alters your LIFE because we experience something out of the norm.....what if I train my mind to accept stress? Would LIFE be more simple? Could I handle more stress? Do I really need these things to happen in my life to make me who I am?

I think it all started in June 2000 when my husband joined the ARMY. We decided it would be a good opportunity to get his schooling paid for to help support our family (my oldest son was 10 months) and we were living with my parents. It seemed like a good idea.....then September 11th, happened.................