{"id":15324,"date":"2026-07-03T13:26:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/?p=15324"},"modified":"2026-07-10T08:27:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T12:27:44","slug":"the-hard-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/es\/2026\/07\/03\/the-hard-years\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hard Years: Finding Strength in the Storm"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Daily Prompt Reply<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If I had to name a chapter of my life The Hard Years<\/em>, it would cover the last three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer entered my life while heart disease was already its unwelcome companion. There were doctor’s appointments, scans, treatments, injections, medications, sleepless nights, and more uncertainty than I ever thought I could take. Some days, it felt as though my calendar belonged more to hospitals and clinics than to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the hard years weren’t defined only by illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Smiling<\/a>
A gentle smile and a grateful heart\u2014finding joy in the everyday moments.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More Than a Medical Journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These years also included loss, disappointment, and learning that not everyone you expect to stay will remain by your side. I had to grieve relationships, adjust to a changing body, and confront fears about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were moments when life felt overwhelming. Times when I wondered how much more I could handle. Yet somehow, I kept moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Got Me Through<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Writing, first and foremost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putting words on a page helped me make sense of what I was feeling and reminded me that my story was still being written and mattered. As friends, therapists, and my doctors carried me on days when I didn’t have the strength to carry myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coffee helped, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most importantly, I discovered that resilience isn’t about never falling apart. It’s about continuing to move forward, even when life insists on slowing you down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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