Hope, love, courage, strength– to me “believe” is the embodiment of all of these combined. Growing up my mom filled our house with countless signs bearing that word. For a long time, I didn’t appreciate or understand the word; I just thought my mom had a perpetual obsession with it. I had seen the phrase, “Believe in the magic of Christmas,” and while it is a great message (don’t get me wrong, I love the magic of Christmas), “believe” also goes so far beyond that.
There are challenges in life that are so difficult that the only option left is to believe. For me, that challenge was the health problems I experienced my junior year of high school. There were many days I felt stuck. I felt like I would never feel healthy again; I felt like I would never receive the surgery I needed. I had no control over the speed of those things, so the only thing I could do was believe that I would be okay again. The one thing in life that you can control is yourself, and how you choose to respond to situations. In those circumstances, it was my mom that taught me that, and she was right. When I could do nothing else, I believed.
Now when I see those signs in my house, I’m reminded of the power of the word “believe.” It was that word that helped me through nine treacherous months of pain before my surgery. “Believe” is not just a word, it’s a reminder of how to live life in the fullest and most positive way. I think that word could make a big difference in our world.
Hey Cami, I really liked this post. This word means a lot to you because of the experiences you’ve had. It definitely improves the quality and importance of this piece. After reading this, I’ve also gained new insight on how to approach the word ‘believe.’