My patience and strength have really been pushed to their very limits these last couple of months.
We've lost a car, our TV died, and money has been tighter than ever before. These things might not seem so big to someone else, but when you're used being worry-free, it's hard to keep your head up when one thing on top of other keeps happening. Luckily for us, things are finally starting to look up.
The end of August started this roller coaster ride of unbelievable bad luck. Like, everything that could go wrong has. We lost our second car that had just been put in the shop a couple of weeks prior and cost over $1600 to fix all the issues.
This leads to us buying another car, which meant we had to scrape together the money for a down payment. Then the TV died, and we had to move the tiny TV from the bedroom to the living room. Yes, that doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but again, for someone who is used to smooth sailing in life, it's difficult.
All of our bills were overdue because my fiance had to work an entire month without any pay. This was the hardest thing to get through. The mortgage was passed due, the electric, water, oil, cable, phones. I mean everything! We came very close to the power being shut off, like 2 days before the cut off date.
It's like we were sent on a path for disaster. The mass amount of stress caused my fiance to have increased anxiety, and for someone who has severe panic disorder, it's not a good thing. I've had continuous migraines for weeks. Sleep has been difficult because of the stress.
How do you stay positive during a time like this? How do you keep bad thoughts at bay?
Staying strong as a couple has been a challenge but we did it! We stayed strong and just kept faith in each other that the bad times would end. Even though it was stressful, I believe that as a couple it has made us stronger and able to handle things easier.
When the mishaps kept coming it was hard to not throw in towel or give up. Now I know how my parent's felt when things like this happened! I mean the constant bad events that happened were almost laughable because it just wouldn't end. But, we made it!
We just took it one day at a time and learned to be thankful for the good things. I must admit it was a bit of a humbling experience. It hurt, financially and emotionally, but I think it's safe to say that we won't be taking things for granted anymore.
Some of the things that we did to keep our cool:
- We talked it out. If we were having personal struggles with the things going on, we talked about it and voiced our opinions.
- Kept our cool. I should say tried, lol. I am not a patient person, and stress drives me crazy at times, but I tried my best to stay cool.
- Made a plan. We made plans for how we would survive. What bills we could pay and where the money we had would go.
- Became a team. It's not easy when things like this happen, so we had to support each other.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, just remember that you are not alone. It's not easy but getting through it can be done. You just have to keep your head high and remember that the bad things DO NOT last forever and that change is a good thing.
Be supportive with your partner because the two of you may be handling the issues differently and talking about it can always make things easier. Make a plan and tackle the issue together.
