Tenacity.

te·nac·i·ty (noun)

/təˈnasədē/

The quality or fact of being very determined; determination.

Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s courage. In my case, I was born with it. Blessed with two parents who, to this day, two of the most determined, tenacious and inspiring people I consider myself lucky to know, let alone to be a product of.

My mom (lovingly also known Mama Kools, Mama, Mother, Y, WhyKools) and my Dad met as teenagers, the prime of their high school days and the couple everyone wanted to emulate. Married in their early 20s it only made sense that they’d spend their lives taking on the world. Dad was in the Canadian Armed Forces and shortly after their wedding was deployed to Wainwright Alberta where he was blown up on a boat, being thrown into the air and landed on his left knee onto the unforgiving water. The next time my Mom saw my Dad was in the hospital, and so began their lifelong battle of Dads injuries/illnesses and Moms steadfast love and strength to pull them both through whatever life was going to throw at them.

Dad ended up having 7 surgeries on his knee, a relentless struggle for some normalcy and relief from the constant pain he was enduring day and night. They took life as it came at them, sometimes throwing hurdles they weren’t sure they’d be able to get over, but together, managed to stumble their way with grace, love and each other.

Mom didn’t stop at being a Wonder Woman caregiver though, When Rachel and I were young, Dad stayed at home because of his MS while Mom worked a full time job that sometimes required her to be on call all hours of the night and was also going back to school to complete her Bachelors -

(Side note: this was via correspondence… before online learning was a thing. She was mailed tape cassettes of lectures and had to take notes by hand. Hello tendinitis and a LOT of patience.)

She relentlessly made sure we were all loved, cared for and that we had the absolute best lives she could give us while being an attentive wife and incredibly good at her job.

One would think that life would stop throwing punches after you’ve been blown up in a boat but you have been on this journey with me so far, re: previous blog posts, (and if you choose to stay,) you’ll quickly discover that this might be the beginning but it’s not nearly the end of what they faced together.

Many people are surprised when they find out I have little apprehension about doing things alone, venturing into the unknown full force ahead, without looking back. But when you are raised by a woman who had no choice but to do exactly that, it isn’t something I allow myself to be afraid of. Life can alter in an instant, a very unforgivable second can change your entire world. So why are we sitting back and waiting for moments to come to us instead of making an effort to find those moments? Moments that stop us in our tracks, take our breath away, leave us craving more. Seconds tick whether you want them to or not, reach out and make them memorable, push yourself beyond your preconceived limits and pursue your wildest dreams without fear of the unknown. Be tenacious, be courageous and find your reason to be excited about the potential the world had to offer you.

THAT is what I was born with, it is what I am learning to channel into each adventure I embark on and Mama Kools tenacity is what keeps me pushing forward when I am struggling to take the next step, to find the next journey, to fall in love with the person I am becoming.

If you are hurting for freedom, feel the need to do some soul searching or just want to experience more of what life has to offer you but you don’t feel ready, ask yourself. Who is the most tenacious/determined/courageous person you know? (Go tell them you thought of them) and then use their strength, their determination and let it fuel you.