When I first heard the phrase “You survived 100% of your hardest days,” I actually had to stop and think about it for a minute.

At first it almost sounded too simple. But the more I sat with it, the more it started to make sense.

When you really look back at your life… you actually have survived your hardest days. Every single one of them.

And if you’re reading this today, so have you.

So first things first… be proud of yourself. And keep going. Because sometimes just continuing forward is the biggest victory there is.

There have been many moments in my life where I honestly didn’t think I would survive what I was going through. If I’m being completely honest, there were moments where I didn’t think I wanted to. But somehow… here I am. And if you’re reading this today, here you are too. And that matters more than you might realize.

The hardest thing I have ever had to survive is losing Nicole. Grieving a child is something you never truly get past. It’s something you learn to live with for the rest of your life.

On top of that there has been trauma… a lot of trauma. Some of it I’m still not ready to talk about yet, and that’s okay. Healing doesn’t come with a schedule. I also learned early in life what trauma and secrets can do to a person, and those are things I’m still working through today.

Then there’s my health. Some days it feels like a yo-yo. I start to feel better and then suddenly my body decides something different. So I’m learning to adapt. Learning to slow down when I need to. Learning to do things differently on the days when my body or my mind needs something different. Because at the end of the day, I’m only human. Just like the rest of you. Just trying to figure out where I belong again while working through everything life has thrown my way.

During my hardest moments, a few things helped me keep going. Nicole. My counselor. My close circle of people who truly care about me. Sir Kit Kat… because that little guy definitely needs me. Routines and structure. And work. Those things helped hold me together when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

What survival looked like from the outside wasn’t always what it actually looked like on the inside. Some days surviving meant simply getting through the next ten minutes. Then the next thirty minutes. Then the next hour. From behind the computer screen it probably looked like everything was fine, but in reality some days it was everything I had just to get through the day. And if I’m being honest… there are still days like that sometimes.

There were absolutely moments where survival meant doing the absolute bare minimum. Getting up, making a coffee, taking my meds, and just surviving the day. That was it. And you know what? That was enough.

For a long time I never saw myself as a “strong” person. I always thought I was just someone doing what I had to do to survive this thing we call life. But now… I’m starting to see something different. And I do mean starting. Very slowly. I’m beginning to see the strength it has taken just to survive everything up to this point. The strength it takes just to keep going some days is enormous, even if we don’t always recognize it in ourselves.

It’s funny how easily we can see strength in everyone else but struggle to see it in ourselves. Maybe that’s something we all need to work on a little more.

Sometimes the signs that someone is struggling or surviving something difficult aren’t obvious. They might withdraw. They might seem quieter than usual. They might say they’re sick a lot. They might sleep more. They might not talk as much. Often it’s because they don’t want to let anyone in… or they simply don’t know how. So if someone in your life seems a little different, a little quieter, or a little more distant, try to show kindness. You never know what someone might be trying to survive.

Looking back now, I am slowly starting to see strength in myself that I never recognized before. And I do mean slowly. But progress is still progress.

If you’re reading this right now and feel like you won’t survive the hard season you’re currently in, I want you to hear this. You will. There are people who love you and care about you. And yes… I am one of them.

Even on the darkest days there is still light somewhere. Sometimes we just have to open ourselves enough to notice it. When life feels overwhelming it’s easy to focus only on the bad, but the good is still there. Sometimes it’s just quieter.

For me, the small things that helped me keep moving forward were the people who truly cared about me and my promise to Nicole. As hard as some days get, I promised her that I would keep living for both of us. So that’s what I try to do… one day at a time.

If you’re still here today, thank you. Thank you for sticking around. I see you. I may not know your exact story, but I do understand what it feels like to carry pain and still keep going. I want you to know something important. I believe in you. I appreciate you. And you are not alone in this season. We can get through it together.

If this post helped even one person feel a little less alone today, then sharing it was worth it. Thank you for being here and walking this journey with me.

And if you’re comfortable, I would truly love to hear from you in the comments. Where are you in your journey right now? Are you surviving a hard season, or starting to see the light on the other side? Your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today.