Last Christmas was incredibly hard for me. My wife and I had a newborn baby, we had just moved to a new state (FL) and started new jobs with VERY low income. We were fortunate to be building a house, but our interest rate was almost triple what we were anticipating. Her family is here, but ALL of my family was in Alabama (Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and the panhandle of FL).
I was extremely stressed, depressed, and most importantly I was very Lonely. I didn’t realize it then, but the loneliness was the root cause of everything. I was afraid to open up to the people around me that I was struggling. I wanted to be strong for my family, and I later realized being open and vulnerable was a much stronger approach to leading my family.
This Christmas has been my best yet. My wife told me this morning that we are having another child. I’ve made pretty decent income, only possible after my wife and I adjusting our personal schedule to allow for more work freedom on my part. My family is growing, and I have been able to manage the guilt I felt from moving away from my immediate family. Things will always be a challenge, but god has a purpose.
TLDR: Be vulnerable to the people closest to you, invest your efforts into the people you care most about, everyone is struggling with something. Then, get your shit done and quit feeling sorry for yourself. I truly believe that if you implement these things during hard times, the struggles will only be temporary.
Best of all - Auburn football is fAUkin back boys and girls! War Damn Eagle and Merry Christmas!
I was extremely stressed, depressed, and most importantly I was very Lonely. I didn’t realize it then, but the loneliness was the root cause of everything. I was afraid to open up to the people around me that I was struggling. I wanted to be strong for my family, and I later realized being open and vulnerable was a much stronger approach to leading my family.
This Christmas has been my best yet. My wife told me this morning that we are having another child. I’ve made pretty decent income, only possible after my wife and I adjusting our personal schedule to allow for more work freedom on my part. My family is growing, and I have been able to manage the guilt I felt from moving away from my immediate family. Things will always be a challenge, but god has a purpose.
TLDR: Be vulnerable to the people closest to you, invest your efforts into the people you care most about, everyone is struggling with something. Then, get your shit done and quit feeling sorry for yourself. I truly believe that if you implement these things during hard times, the struggles will only be temporary.
Best of all - Auburn football is fAUkin back boys and girls! War Damn Eagle and Merry Christmas!
