The other day when David and I went shopping it was one huge mess that made me so frustrated I wanted to throw in the towel before I even found what I need. But then I thought about what some of my mentors would do and decided sometimes a girl needs Dolly Parton to make her laugh, Jelly Roll to remind her that it’s all going to be okay, and Rachel Platten singing her fight song in the background.
But sometimes, a girl needs Rosie the Riveter and that was one of those days when I needed her to roll up her sleeves, plant her feet firmly on the ground, and remind me that no matter how hard life gets, I was going to figure it out somehow. That’s what Rosie represents to me.
Perseverance which I thank the LORD for. I kept reminding myself that I shouldn’t give up just because something is hard. I shouldn’t throw my hands in the air and decide that life has beaten you. I needed to put one foot in front of the other, take a deep breath, and keep going. And if you grew up with a dad like mine, you probably heard that lesson more than once! But that is what made me strong and its what I’m most grateful for.
I don’t know about your dad but my dad taught me that no matter how difficult something becomes, you don’t just walk away because it isn’t going the way you planned. You keep trying. You figure out what you can do, you work with what you’ve got, and you find a way to get the job done.
Maybe the answer won’t be the one you expected. Maybe the road will take a few unexpected turns. And maybe you’ll have a day when you wonder why on earth you ever started the whole thing in the first place! But you keep putting one foot in front of the other and that is what I’ve done all my life. How about you?
Being the way my dad taught me to be reminds me of The Little Engine That Could. That little engine had a mountain to climb, and it wasn’t an easy job. But it kept going, believing it could make it to the other side. Sometimes, that’s all we can do and that is okay.
We don’t know exactly how everything will work out and we don’t have all the answers, and we certainly don’t have a map showing us every twist and turn ahead. But one things I’ve learned is we can take the next step. And then the next one. Before we know it, we’re further along than we thought we’d be.
If you’ve been following my Walmart adventure, you already know that finding a bra turned into quite the ordeal. I went into the Beach Street Walmart looking for a particular brand, and I couldn’t find what I wanted. The shelves were crowded, the sizes were difficult to see, and I was beginning to wonder whether the bras I used to buy had disappeared from the face of the earth.
But I kept looking. David helped me, and eventually, I found a bra I was willing to bring home. Was it the brand I originally wanted? No. Was it a brand I’d purchased in the past? Yes. Did I know whether it was the right size? Well, God only knows! Because have I tried it on yet? Nope!
It’s sitting on my desk, laughing at me. I swear that bra knows exactly what it’s doing! I’ll try it on when the time is right. Until then, it can sit there and mind its own business. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! But here’s the thing. Even though I didn’t get exactly what I went looking for, I didn’t come home empty-handed. I found another option, and I’ll deal with the sizing when I’m ready.
It wasn’t the outcome I originally expected, but it was a way forward. And sometimes, that’s what perseverance looks like. It isn’t always a big victory with trumpets playing and everybody cheering. Sometimes, it’s simply accepting that Plan A didn’t work and giving Plan B a chance. Even when Plan B is sitting on your desk laughing at you!
If you’re a mom, you know that life doesn’t always give you the luxury of sitting down and waiting until everything feels perfect. There are people counting on you. There are meals to make, errands to run, responsibilities to handle, and problems that don’t politely wait until you’re having a good day. You keep going because somebody needs you.
You learn to make adjustments. You learn to find another way when the first way doesn’t work. You learn that sometimes you can be exhausted, frustrated, and ready to throw in the towel and still get up the next morning and do what needs to be done. That’s part of being a mother, at least in my experience. And sometimes, it’s part of being a woman, period.
We aren’t always going to have the answers. We aren’t always going to feel strong. We may have days when we cry, complain, and wonder how much more we can handle. But we keep going. Not because life is easy, but because we’ve learned that hard days don’t have to be the end of the story.
There’s another part of this story that has nothing to do with Walmart. I’m still coming to terms with Sandy and her habit of eating things she shouldn’t! If you’ve ever had a dog who thinks everything in the house is a chew toy, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You can try to keep things out of reach, but somehow, those four-legged troublemakers always seem to find something they shouldn’t have. And then you’re left shaking your head, wondering what on earth possessed them.
Sandy’s adventures have certainly given me a few stories to tell. Sometimes, life throws us things we didn’t ask for. Sometimes, our plans get chewed up along with everything else! We can’t always control what happens around us. We can’t make every situation turn out the way we want, and we can’t force every problem to resolve itself on our timetable. But we can choose how we respond.
We can keep trying. We can laugh when laughter helps. We can pray when we need strength. And we can remind ourselves that one frustrating day doesn’t erase all the blessings we have. That’s what I want to remember when the bra on my desk is still waiting for its big debut or when Sandy decides she’s found another treasure that belongs to somebody else. I can deal with one thing at a time. And I can do it without letting every inconvenience steal my peace.
When I think about Rosie the Riveter, I think about a woman who represents determination, hard work, and the ability to step up when something needs doing. Rosie became an enduring symbol of the women who took on industrial jobs during World War II, doing work that had traditionally been done by men while so many men were serving overseas.
Those women faced challenges that were a whole lot bigger than my little Walmart adventure. They stepped into unfamiliar roles, learned new skills, and helped keep the country moving during a difficult time. I think about that when I start feeling sorry for myself over something that hasn’t gone the way I planned.
If those women could rise to the challenges in front of them, surely I can find the determination to handle the challenges in my own life.That doesn’t mean I have to pretend everything is wonderful. It doesn’t mean I can’t be frustrated, disappointed, or tired.
It simply means I don’t have to give up. I can roll up my sleeves and do what needs doing. I can put one foot in front of the other. And if I have to change directions along the way, I can do that, too. Above everything else, my faith reminds me that I don’t have to face life’s challenges alone.
I believe the Lord is with me in each and every thing I do. He doesn’t promise that every day will go according to my plans, and He certainly doesn’t promise that I’ll always get the brand of bra I went shopping for But I trust that I can turn to Him when I need strength, patience, wisdom, and a little help getting through the day.
Sometimes the answer comes through a prayer. Sometimes it comes through the love of my family. Sometimes it’s a lesson I learned from my dad years ago that comes back to me when I need it most. And sometimes, it’s a reminder that I have already made it through difficult days before.
I can be frustrated with a shopping trip and still be grateful for David walking beside me. I can be annoyed with Sandy and still be thankful for the love and laughter our pets bring into our lives. I can wish things had gone differently and still recognize that I have blessings worth counting. Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed doesn’t mean life is perfect. It means I can find reasons to be thankful even when it isn’t.
So, when life gets hard, I’m going to remember what my dad taught me. I’m going to put one foot in front of the other. I’m going to keep going, even if I have to take a different road than the one I planned. And when I need a little inspiration, I’ll think of Rosie the Riveter, roll up my sleeves, and get to work.
I may not always get the answer I wanted. I may not always know what comes next. And I may occasionally have to let a bra sit on my desk until I’m ready to deal with it! But with faith in the Lord, lessons from my dad, and a little perseverance, I’ll keep moving forward. Because sometimes a girl just needs a Rosie the Riveter. And sometimes, that girl is me. Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed—one foot in front of the other, trusting the Lord to see me through.
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Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank yoou,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
