What are your limits?

I have often thought of myself as a strong person, and I do believe that I can handle any trouble or sorrow that comes my way. But is that true? Yes, I am strong: I got through the shockingly sudden death of my mother and the lingering decline and death of my father. I suffered, I mourned, but I survived and moved on. I have lost relatives and friends, and I grieved and kept going.

Still, I know that I have a breaking point, and I pray I never reach it. We all go through some measure of grief in our lives—some decidedly more than others. What is it within us that decides how much we can stand? What about you? What makes you strong? How much could you stand to lose? How do some people walk away from a tragedy and continue their lives while others experiencing the same tragedy crumble and dissolve?

I do believe that there’s a spark of life deep inside that keeps us going. Some of us let that spark die, and so we die with it—sometimes emotionally, sometimes spiritually, and yes, sometimes physically. Still, I feel sure we all have the ability to transcend tragedy. It’s a matter of being able to look into our hearts to find that spark, to fan it until it is a refulgent flame to warm our souls through the coldest, darkest night.