I work in an environment that is sometimes pretty much always highly emotionally charged.
We deal with life, death, uncertainty, despair, and tons of stress on a regular basis. This stress can get the better of people. On any given day, I have been a surrogate mother, friend, confidant, ally, and at times, which I can not truly understand, the "bad guy". I realize that when emotions run high and power is lost, blame is placed on whoever or whatever is closest to you. The thing about blame is that it's messy, and some is bound to get on you as you're trying to put it on someone else. I know in my heart that when people lash out, it has more to do with their place in time, their reality,
and less about what is truly unfolding.
And although I know all of this, when someone lashes out verbally, physically, directly or in a passive aggressive way, the pain, stress and emotional toll it takes on me is very real and very painful, but still not as painful, stressful, or unimaginable as the pain a mother must feel when her child is critically ill.
So on "bad days", I take some time to cry, vent, ask God for patience, and take a step back from the situation to look at my own life.
The moments captured in these pictures are the reasons why I can move forward; our short little roomates are why life is worth living, and having a partner who loves and understands me when no one else seems to, is more than enough for this gal.
So I will keep breathing, smiling, and knowing that I am blessed and lucky to live my life!
