I’ve been an avid gym rat since the age of 16. I’ll never forget my first ‘real’ experience in the gym. It was the day after Thanksgiving and I was introduced to the world of chest and bicep exercises. For over four days after my life, I could barely move. It hurt to put on a t-shirt. Lord have mercy…that was a terrible time.
However, that time sparked something in me that made me realize it wasn’t worth putting in a workout only to never return back to the gym. I wanted to get something for my pain other than sore arms and the embarrassment that I struggled to lift 95lb on the bench press.
Today, I cranked out 275 for ten reps and had plenty of gas left in the tank. How times have changed.
I say all this to introduce the topic of today’s blog. Strength and weakness. It takes a strong person to admit they’re, in fact, weak or in need of help. Sometimes we can mask our problems and pretend they’re not an issue, all the while we are bleeding and hurting.
Earlier this year, I was introduced to a very special woman in my life – my counselor, Connie Freeman. At the time, I was in the middle of a lot of personal battles that I didn’t know where to start attacking. From my then-relationship to my family, work, personality, and thought processes, there was a lot of work to be done.
Let me tell you about Connie; she’s one of the most caring and compassionate people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. When she listens to you speak, she really listens to what you are saying and hears you. She’s the first one to jump in to the fire with you to meet you where you are at and help you to a place of being healthy. Rather than coming from a position of having all of the answers, she related to where I was at and was very honest and open about her own similar struggles she’s dealt with in the past.
One of Connie’s biggest lessons to me has been “we can’t grow outside of relationship with others”. When all of the flash and glam from life fades away, it’s the people you can see around you who are with you for who you are that matter and make the difference.
There’s never been an agenda or schedule to our weekly meetings. Hours fly by and feel like minutes.
When I look at the relationships in my life, particularly that of my family and romantic life, I can say that Connie has been one of the rocks of support that has helped guide me through some very treacherous waters and make it to a healthy and happy place. As I navigated my way through my family relationships and the topics where we find our most vehement differences, she reminded me to focus on love. Love. Love. Love.
It makes me emotional as I write this, but it was with a great grin on my face as I told Connie that I had ‘uncovered my smile’ which had been hiding far too long. Having a genuine reason to smile, and somebody special to share it with, has changed my countenance and is a direct reflection of the change that has happened in my heart.
Through baby steps and love, she has been an instrumental guide in my life that has gently encouraged me to face my problems, calm my mind, and step up my game in order to be the man that I believe myself capable of becoming. “You’re a wonderful man.” she once told me, stating with full confidence that she believed I would accomplish everything I set my hands to the plow to do.
Sometimes you need a hand. Sometimes you need a hug. Sometimes you need somebody in your life, like Connie, to help show you that a happy and healthy life, enriched by love, is within your grasp.
For this, I am grateful and deeply appreciative of all of the time and effort she’s invested into developing me as a man, brother, son, future husband and father.
From the bottom of my heart…thank you, Connie Freeman.
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