Perseverance is something that has served me well throughout my life.  I remember when I was elementary school age participating in a race where you kicked a bag full of air across a finish line.  I remember being in the lead very close to the finish line and a gust of wind took my bag way back beyond the start line.  My mom said her first thoughts were that it was over for me and that race.  I don’t ever remember thinking anything bad about having to start over.  I don’t even remember thinking about starting over, I just did it. 

I ran back to my bag and again started to the finish line.  My mom was in disbelief because I ended up winning that race and she knew that running was not my strength.  I was the only one who had to go back beyond the start, but I was also the only one who did not think about starting over.  I just did it.  It never occurred to me that I might not win.  My mom later told me that she learned a lot about me from that race, and never again underestimated my ability to compete until the end.  I did not always win.  But I had perseverance. 

As a child, I took dance lessons from age 2-18.  I was not good, but it developed my skills as a leader, it developed my muscle tone, and it developed perseverance.  I remember having to do things that were very difficult for me.  Challenges that I would come home in tears over.  My parents continued to say, “Keep trying, you will get it.”  They were right.  I did learn all the moves that were so difficult for me.  But I also learned not to give up.  What I didn’t know at the time was I loved those lessons.  There were, however, many years of pain mixed in with the years of loving those lessons!  The pain was not only my own, my parents had to persevere through my tears and years of complaining too!  They had faith that if I persevered it would all work out, and it did.  I will forever be grateful that my parents persevered through those lessons.

When I was in high school, I tried out for the school dance line three times before finally making the team.  I know I was disappointed that I did not make the team the first two years, but I never remember giving up.  I never said, “I didn’t make it this year so I am not trying out next year.”  I just kept trying.  In the third year, I made the team and in the fourth year I was co-captain of the team.  Persevering through faith is what I call it!

My schooling took perseverance.  I had to persevere through the years of schooling while earning my Ph.D.  I can not even put into words how difficult it was for me to earn my master’s degree.    I remember living in the dorm on a floor with a bunch of law students.  They would come to my door and knock to see if I was going out that evening.  My answer was always the same, “How in the world do you guys pass your classes going out every night?”  By this time I knew that going to graduate school was my intended path.  School never came easy to me, but it proved to be well worth the effort. 

Infertility took perseverance too.  But again, I never looked at the negative side.  I just moved on each month that was unsuccessful.  When we were told we had 27 eggs, my first thought was, “It will be egg 27 that brings us our child.”  I knew my life was built on perseverance.  

I persevered through the race, through the difficult dance moves, through academics, and through getting pregnant.  Perseverance has brought me much joy in life!  I have perseverance because of my strong faith.  I thank God for my faith and my perseverance.

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