Teammates

When you stand alone, you are only one person against the world. When you have others next to you, even the hardest task seems less scary. I think it's so important to be able to find a support system when you're trying to overcome something. Whether that something is grief, addiction, illness, whatever... having others around you that are in the same boat & understand where you've been & where you're going is of the utmost importance.

Where do you find your support system? For me, my blog & the blogs of others travelling the same path are a huge support. When I had the most success with weight loss was when I was blogging & reading consistently. To be able to celebrate with others, have others pat you on the back for a job well done, or even just knowing that someone else is nodding & going "me too" is comforting. And you know, it's the tough times that are just as important as the good ones. To write about those tough times & then feel all the love & support around you helps you get back up, time after time. I can't tell you how thankful I am for the handful of bloggers that still would comment me, even after absences on here of weeks at a time. To know that those women still thought of me & wondered how I was was the push I needed to get back up.

I was watching The Biggest Loser last night (and liveblogging with Fat Bridesmaid & friends) and the scene that touched me the most was when the heaviest contestant in the history of the show, a 19-year old named Daniel who weighs well over 400 pounds, was completing their weekly challenge. The challenge was tough. It would be daunting for someone half his size. They had to kayak for 1/4 mile in these pedal-boat things (can you imagine how your thighs would be feeling after that?) then get out and climb this HUGE incline probably another 1/4 mile to get to the top. I think most, if not all, contestants had finished the race before Daniel was even to shore in his kayak. But you know what, he kept going. He got out of his boat, and he started up that hill. I'm sure he wanted to quit, and maybe he would have, had it not been for his teammates, who after doing that activity themselves & were probably exhausted, went back down the hill and walked with him up it. They pushed him (literally and figuratively) to keep going and to finish that challenge. And he did!

What I think can be learned from this is two-fold. First, it's that having that support system can make all the difference. And second, it's that WE need to BE that support system for others. Even when we're exhausted & we feel like we've done our part & can't go a minute more, we need to step up and help our teammates out. We're all in this together. It doesn't matter who gets to the top of the hill first, all that matters is that each and every one of us finishes.