We are all survivors

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By Kathy Monnin

Versailles News

The American Cancer Society speaks of survivors as one who remains alive and continues to function during and after overcoming a serious hardship or life-threatening disease. Therefore, a person is a survivor from the time of diagnosis until the end of life.

Taking nothing away from cancer survivors (as I am one), rather including all the ails of this life I must recognize; indeed, we are all survivors!

Each day we live is a day we have survived. Each day we survive begets another opportunity to evaluate our survival skills. Each of us began our lives experiencing the trauma of birth and uncertainty of life. We were safe, protected and completely reliant upon our mother as we began our existence within her womb until one day her body began to force us out of our comfort zone, leaving us extremely vulnerable to the world as we now know it.

We have already encountered many things since birth such as illness and accidents, nightmares, bullies, abuse, betrayal, gossip, embarrassment and ridicule, thieves and liars, and heartache in loving someone who does not love us in return. And all of this happened before we entered junior high!

By the time we finished schooling we realize life will always come with tests, i.e.., challenges. And the only difference from childhood to adulthood is the size of our challenges. So, we remain defenders of our lives.

Life is challenging and sometimes it feels unbearably difficult, but there is always a solution to every problem. Life is filled with choices and through experience we learn our strengths and our weaknesses. At times we must opt to refrain from certain situations, while other times we need to double our preparedness. There are times we must face our fate, while other times we must defend ourselves. Sometimes all it takes to overcome an unpleasant life happening is to equip ourselves with friends who possess the strength we lack. Strengths such as confidence, fortitude, insight, or perspective.

Yes, we are all surviving any number of life altering losses, e.g., health, income, friends, home, or loved ones. Everyone who ever lived has survived something, but to survive does not mean it was done easily. Often, we think of challenges from a win or lose perspective, however battles are often lost but it is our survival that matters. As they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. So, endure, learn, grow. Mature, progress, and adapt from daily experiences to become constantly more excellent. Because in survival there is no win or lose just the opportunity to continue onward and make of life what you will.

Each challenge, however, produces scars. Sometimes these scars are physical, but they always create emotional scarring. That is how we become the person we are. We fight and defend ourselves, some to a greater degree than others, but we all become battered in our own right. We carry our scars as reminders of what we have endured. Sometimes the emotional scars haunt us, but they are simply another challenge meant to rally us with awareness that life has not ended but that it continues, and we must evolve. We may need to reconcile our emotional scars numerous times each day, but consider them an exercise in survival fitness, or if you will—calisthenics.

We will never fully understand why we must endure, pain and sorrow in this life, but we must. It has been the master plan (or Master’s plan) from the beginning of time. It has never been about winning or losing. We live through adversity to become the person we were meant to become.

“Challenges are what makes your life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” ~Joshua J. Marine

“Obstacles do not prevent you from your calling. They prepare you for it” ~Unknown

“If your path is more difficult it is because your calling is higher.” ~Unknown

“The biggest obstacle you’ll ever have to overcome is your mind. If you can overcome that, you can overcome anything.” ~Unknown

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, Aug. 12. 9 a.m.–6 p.m. is the last day of the Darke County Right to Life Community Sale held at the Versailles K of C Hall at 8440 State Route 47.

Friday, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m., Fatima USA an outdoor mass on the Maria Stein Spiritual Center premises. The Most Reverend Gerardo J Colacicco, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York will celebrate the mass. There will be confessions, a candlelight rosary, and procession through the woods. Join in praying for our country and world. Please bring your lawn chair.

Monday, Aug. 15, Memory Lane (Senior Citizen) Dance held at the Greenville VFW from 1-3:30 p.m. Open to the public, with music by Tom Everhart. Admission is $5 at the door.

Tuesday, Aug. 16, breakfast at the Wooden Spoon from 9–10:15 a.m. for anyone that wants to join in with my widowed women and men friends. (Singles are welcome, too).

Tuesday, Aug. 16, Bingo at the Versailles Healthcare Center from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Refreshments and prizes, including a chance to win a $25 gift card.

Thursday, Aug. 18, Card Night downstairs in the Versailles Vets Club Bunker beginning at 7 p.m. Open to the Public.

Saturday, Aug. 20, The Newsboys at BMI Event Center, Main Street, Versailles from 7–10 p.m. This is a Christian rock band. “God’s Not Dead” is one of their most popular hits.

Happy birthday wishes Therese Pohlman, Todd Richhart, Rebecca Scott, Don Short, Victor Bey, Bob Paulus, Pete Magoto (91), Karen Herndon, Ami Anthony, Ron Marshall, Mary Jo Frey, Dan Richhart, Barb Siegel, Cheryl Huelskamp, Mark Hilgefort, Cheryl Magoto, Ann-Marie Subler Kurtz, Cindy Miller, Paul Smith, Tennessie Hamilton, Jody Johnston, Barb Berger, Rick DeMange, Kelly Francis, Ted Finnarn, Wanda Keiser, Jodie Langston, Tom Klopfenstein, and those I missed. Also, happy anniversary wishes to Katina and Jason Overholser (5), Shellie and Tony Lewis (6), Loretta and Tom Donnelly (8), Lori and Rob York (10), Monica and Curt Goubeaux (12), Diane and Mike Magoteaux (25), Shila and Tom Magoto (50), Ginny and Jack Meinerding (57), Kay and Dave Holfinger (63), and all those couples celebrating anniversaries.

Please extend your sympathy to the family and friends of Gregory Eubank (60), Evelyn (Zacharias) Curtis (92), and all those who have passed, especially those whose anniversary of their passing nears. Please give your prayers of comfort and healing for the sick and suffering, for those who struggle, the caregivers and those who mourn the loss of their loved ones.

As an act of kindness approach others attentively since everyone is dealing with something. Don’t minimize their struggles, for they are real to them. Be empathetic, patient, and a good listener. Respect their confidentiality, validate their emotions, offer your time and encouragement. Be the friend you had or would like to have had when you were going through your most recent life crisis.

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