You Can Cross The Finish Line Too - #MondayMotivation

It's not always whether you finish first that matters. Sometimes it's just that you finish at all.

Yes, you might take some tumbles along the way. But if you keep trying, eventually you'll cross that finish line.

Just like I did in the only race I ever ran.

With the physical and/or emotional struggles that many people - myself included - are facing these days, as well as the time of year I'm writing this post, I was thinking about that race recently.

It was my school's sports day. Every primary/elementary school has them over here. They happen around late May or early to mid June each year, which is where the time of year comes in to it. Anyway, this was the only year I'd ever been allowed to join in with my school's sports day events. Concerns for my health - especially with my poor eyesight added to the mix - made them reluctant to let me before, and what happened made them decide never to let me again.

The field at our school wasn't entirely even, and that fact - combined with the fact children fall over sometimes when running about normally - meant I wasn't the only child who fell that day. But they were always more careful with me, because I was very ill until I was almost seven, and I was the only disabled child in a mainstream school.

I was also the only child who didn't go running to their parent or guardian when I fell.

What most children were doing was falling, getting up, and running for comfort.

But I wasn't most children.

I fell several times during that race, and crossed the finish line ages behind the last of the others to do so. But every time I fell, I got back to my feet, dusted myself off, and started running again.

Every single time.

I'd started that race, and I was determined to finish it.

By the time I did, every adult on the school grounds that day was cheering me on.

Sure, my ankle was throbbing so much I immediately hobbled over to the nearest tree, and sat in the shade of it clutching my ankle and crying, which is where I stayed until my Mam and teacher came for me a little while later.

But I finished the race; I crossed the finish line.

If you're facing some kind of challenge of your own right now, you can reach your own finish line too.

If you stumble and fall, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and carry on. Just like I did.