Is it all about competition?

Alright I am going to use this blog to vent....... I am all about being competitive, I'm competitive in bootcamp, I'm competitive in my job, and I am competitive in a few other areas. What I am NOT competitive in....... major life events!

I have hemmed and hawed about how much to write about this...... my daughter has to have a pretty significant surgery, very soon.  I am concerned, worried and yes scared.  Nobody wants to go through moments like this....... especially when it's your child.  I have been working really hard on how I react to what is going on; controlling my thoughts, my emotions and actions. So when I have recently started talking about how I feel, I have been met with some.... and I will say.... some people that seem to think they have to express; "it could be worse", "everybody goes through difficult times",  "look around, there are many people that go through the same difficult things", "I've been through worse".  Is that REALLY what I want to hear?   ....... No, not really. Don't you think I already know that? Don't you think I have thought about how lucky I am to first of all have children... healthy children that are able to participate in activities. Don't you think I understand people go through so much WORSE?

I learned that lesson quickly when my dad was killed in a car accident...... The most difficult time in my life when  I held his hand for the last time...... when there was no longer a breath in his body.  I was told by many people "at least you didn't have to see him suffer from disease, at least it was fast, at least you had him as long as you did"  

I don't believe suffering and trials in life are a competition of who has it worse?

There are people that understand.  There are people that have experienced really difficult times that understand it's okay to share their experience and have compassion towards what you are going through. Words like "I'll pray for you and your daughter" "what can I do to help" "I know how difficult this is for YOU and I know you can get through this"
Because that's really what it's about..... what YOU have to endure, what YOU are facing at that specific time. Like that saying "God does not give you more than you can handle" because He knows exactly how much growth you need in your life at that specific moment. Some people have had to endure more than others and there will ALWAYS be those people that have endured so MUCH MORE. But it does not make YOURS any LESS.
So if your going through something difficult in your life right now..... loss, divorce, strained marriage, pain from an injury, pain from a loved one, suffering what ever it is..... I'm sorry you have to go through it.  I'm sorry that life has to be that much more difficult for YOU right now.  I know specific people that are going through each of those life stressors right now, I feel your pain and your sadness and I am so sorry.  It's not a competition, it's not about who has it better or worse, it's not about being selfish....... it's about compassion, it's about loving one another, so let me say to you........ I love you.

Jen