What’s a chapter of your life you’d title “The Hard Years” — and what got you through it? – Asks the daily writing prompt.

I’ve had a lot of challenges throughout my life. Physical, mental, professional and personal. So, it’s hard to pick a set of years. But I’ll qualify that by saying that I’m thankful for every one of those years. You learn a lot about yourself and others during hard times.

Also, I’d like to say my hard times don’t hold up to people who really experience real hard times. I’ve been hungry but never starving for one example.

I’ve had cancer a few times. After a couple of different surgeries, I needed radiation for a few months after the last one. I would sit across from this little girl in the waiting room who had a tree full of bags of meds on wheels she would take with her as she went into her room for treatment. She had no hair and looked thin. But she sat up straight, had the most beautiful smile and spirit with her mother by her side. I’m thankful for her reminder that I wasn’t having a hard time.

There were times when jobs overwhelmed me. In the sheer number of hours and mental/physical effort over long stretches of years. I think my refusal to fail got me through those times.

If you’re married or in a long-term relationship there are hard times, but you shouldn’t have hard years.

Raising children can certainly be a challenge and a very hard one for many years but it’s the most rewarding thing you can do.

I’ve experienced painful losses in our family early on at times. Those were very difficult years but there was hope, to get us through.

I’m a senior now and I feel the hard years are ahead of me. The time that you start losing those lifelong friends and family members. People that are important to you, loved and have a lot of shared history. The ones that will leave holes in you. Those thoughts scare me the most. And I don’t know how I will get through those most difficult times.

Maybe I’ll remember the phrase a US Marine I worked with would say. “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.”