The year of twenty twenty-one tested me as no other year has in a long time. It started with hope and positive thoughts but quickly slammed my family and me into a never-ending treadmill of trouble. You might think this is an article about my problems; in a way, it is, but it is more than that. I want to show you how I came through this year with hope above all else.

Test No. 1 – The Crash

Tuesday, March 23, started as usual. I worked a full day at the retail store while my parents did their day-to-day activities. Fast forward to six o’clock in the evening; I clocked out of work, and my parents swung by to pick me up. At that hour, traffic is quite heavy, especially at the intersection.

As we sat at the light waiting to turn left, a vehicle traveling east had the right of way. However, a Dodge Ram truck going west wanted to turn left and tried to beat the traffic going east. Of course, this caused a collision with the other vehicle, causing the truck to veer toward us head-on. The impact sent our car flying backward into the car behind us. Our insurance company totaled the car.

Without going into full detail, I can say that I gained a bruised knee from the crash, and my mom went to the hospital with chest pains. Dad suffered from bruising and strained muscles. For him, the emotional and mental stress got to him. We all began the healing process, and we all had injuries that showed up days later.

The following week, we obtained an attorney and started visiting doctors for months. It is now December, and our attorney expects a settlement to be awarded after the first of the year. We’ve spent nearly a year dealing with this test of perseverance.

Test No. 2 – The Flood

The months advanced, and we thought the car crash would be the biggest event of the year—we were wrong. The end of August brought several days of torrential rains. It seemed as if the rain would never stop. The ditch behind our house filled and overflowed, causing issues with the drain field of our septic system. Because of the flooding in our back yard, we could no longer use our toilets. There was nowhere for the water to go, so it backed up into the clean-outs.

So, my parents and I packed a bag and stayed at a hotel for a couple of days. Here’s where a mini test of mine shows its ugliness. I accepted a job with a different retail chain thinking it would be a better investment of my time. It was a small step up from the position I had with my previous employer.

I will make this a quick explanation of my personal challenge. I always tell people that the grass is not greener on the other side—it is only different. Unfortunately, the grass was not a good different. The new company violated security protocols that made me uncomfortable.

I needed to leave work for a couple of hours the first day of the torrential rainfall to pack a bag and rent a hotel room. I didn’t think it would be a problem, but I was screamed at for daring to have an emergency.

That was the day I handed in my key. Of course, I was a keyed assistant manager, but no position is worth being disrespected or uncomfortable with security violations.

The backyard and septic problems were not the only issues with flooding. There is a lake across the street from us. It is spring-fed and has an artesian well at one end. Unfortunately, this year broke two rainfall records—nearly reaching sixty inches of rain in my county. As a result, the lake rose to levels that overtook a substantial portion of the road and half of our front yard.

We have a road behind our house and another driveway to our fenced-in backyard. Since we could no longer use the front driveway or our garage, we parked in the back driveway.

Flooding and septic problems were not the only issues we faced from the record rainfall. Receiving mail, packages, and the newspaper became an ongoing challenge. We called the post office and the local newspaper provider to ask permission to move our mailbox and newspaper box. They both understood, and we moved them to the road in the back of our house.

UPS and FedEx were entirely different predicaments. Unfortunately, the water was so deep in front of our house that both companies couldn’t deliver packages to us. So we decided to call our friends and family to hold off sending Christmas packages due to this ongoing problem.

People ask us why the lake is taking so long to recede—we tell them that it will take evaporation since it is spring-fed. It took three months to rise and take over a large portion of the road and half of our yard and driveway. It will probably take about five to six months to recede. Unfortunately, we suspect it will not recede to its previous level but may remain higher than usual.

Test No. 3 – Heart Disease

I can’t recall what month this next test began, but it has been months since then.  My step-dad, who I call Pops, is in his late seventies, and of course, gets an annual physical. This time, they heard his heart pausing which set off a few alarms. So he’s gone through various tests over several months, and they’ve discovered calcium buildup.

At one point, his doctor mentioned possible surgery for a pacemaker. Instead, his doctor wants to treat him with medication. We were told that the blockage was something that medication could control.

I don’t need to tell you what a relief that news was to us. The emotional toll it took on my family added to our mental stress from the other battles we fought all year.

Test No. 4 – Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia

My biological father raised my four siblings and me. Though he was a superb provider and taught us an exemplary work ethic, he was not a warm person. We’ve all tried to keep a rapport and relationship with him, but he rarely extended the same efforts willingly.

So, over the years, he lost touch with all of us. Two of my siblings have willingly ended all communication with him—they’ve had enough—and I can’t say that I blame them. I tried year after year, but when I couldn’t get a response from him, I also gave up.

I’ve recently found out that he is in an adult care facility after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease and a mild case of Dementia. He’s also fallen twice—had a hip replacement and a pacemaker inserted. So, this will be an ongoing personal test into 2022.

End of Year Overview – Soul Searching

I’ll start this final section by telling you that I accepted a job with my previous employer after four months of leaving my management job. They offered me slightly higher pay than when I left and better hours. It is still retail, which is not ideal for me, but at this point, I need employment, so I’m content.

As for the year I’ve endured, well, it’s finally ending. I can say that I succeeded in trudging my way through the sludge and darkness with a glimmer of hope.

My most significant point, and the main reason I’ve shared my year-long tests, is to tell you all what I’ve learned. Or, should I rephrase that to say, I want to tell you what helped me find my way through without falling apart.

I prayed often, listened to God continually, talked to my friends, and talked to my family. Then, I sat quietly many a night, listening to nothing but silence or nature. That was my strategy. A strategy that helped me see that I should concentrate on today—what can I do today to help me get through tomorrow? I asked myself daily: What can I control today, and what problems can I solve?

I didn’t allow myself to dwell on the what-ifs. What if I can’t do this, what if this happens, what if this “doesn’t” happen? No. I asked what I could do today. I found that my stress level balanced out.

If the septic system backed up again, I would deal with that, and I would not worry about tomorrow until it arrived. But, of course, I’m not saying to stop planning. We always need to plan for things, but there are things we should not worry about—they may not happen—so why force worry upon ourselves.

Remember to take one day at a time. Control what you can, solve today’s problems—by doing this, we retain our strength for tomorrow. I never lost hope for better days. On the contrary, I remained faithful and prayerful, which gave me everlasting hope.

Featured image created by Jill Yoder using Canva