Since Thanksgiving, I’ve spent a lot of time with my grandparents. At first, I didn’t think much of it—I went there for myself. On Fridays, I’d pack up my daughter Brielle and head to their house, where she would spend the weekend relaxing with them while I came and went as I pleased. They made things easy: no worries about cooking, no stress about schedules. I could leave my daily responsibilities behind, even if just for a little while.

But as Sunday rolled around, dread would set in. The idea of returning to reality was overwhelming, and I would procrastinate going home. One late Sunday night, anxiety hit me hard—so hard that I felt like I was having a breakdown. In that moment, I turned to my grandfather and asked him a question that had been weighing on my heart:

“How haven’t you given up on life?”

My grandfather’s life hasn’t been easy. His father was an abusive alcoholic who took the life of his mother when he was just eight years old. The judge’s solution? To force his father to raise him and his siblings. Then, in his twenties, my grandfather was shot in the head and lost his vision. Despite all of this, he never gave up.

His answer was simple: his love for life kept him going.

That one statement hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that I didn’t have that love anymore—not for life, and not for myself. And without it, no wonder I felt so lost.

A Simple Truth That Changed Everything

Hearing my grandfather say those words shook me to my core. He wasn’t bitter, angry, or resigned. Despite everything life had thrown at him, he still saw it as something worth loving, worth fighting for. It made me realize how far I’d drifted from that mindset.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped valuing life. Maybe it was the weight of everyday stress, the endless routines, or the challenges that felt too overwhelming to face. I’d been so focused on running from my problems that I forgot what it meant to truly live.

That night, I sat with my thoughts long after our conversation ended. I didn’t have the answers, but I knew one thing for sure: I needed to rediscover that love for life. Not just for myself, but for my kids, too. How could I teach her to value life if I wasn’t doing it myself?

Learning to Love Life Again

This realization didn’t magically fix everything overnight. I didn’t wake up the next morning full of answers or clarity. But it gave me a starting point—a reason to try.

For me, this journey began with small steps. I started by spending more intentional time with my grandparents. I listened to their stories with a new appreciation, absorbing their wisdom and resilience. I also started taking moments for myself—moments where I wasn’t running away from stress but embracing life, even in its simplest forms.

It’s not about grand gestures or instant change. It’s about choosing to find beauty in the little things: a quiet morning with Brielle, the sound of my grandfather’s laughter, or even just the feeling of sunshine on my face. These small moments remind me that life is still worth loving.

A Lesson for Us All

If you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed, I want you to know that you’re not alone. It’s easy to let life’s challenges pull you under, to feel like giving up is the only option. But my grandfather’s story reminds me—and I hope it reminds you—that resilience comes from finding even the smallest reasons to keep going.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t have to fix everything at once. Just take one step, no matter how small, toward rediscovering what makes life beautiful for you.

As I continue on this journey, I know there will be hard days. But I also know that if my grandfather can hold on to his love for life after everything he’s endured, then I can, too. And so can you.

Closing Thoughts

This journey has just begun for me, and I don’t know where it will lead. But one thing is certain: I want to learn how to live fully again. Not just to exist, but to find joy, purpose, and love in the life I have.

To my grandfather—thank you for sharing your strength and your love for life. And to anyone reading this who feels stuck, I hope you find your own reason to keep going.

Because life is worth it.