Right about now, you have probably forgotten about all those New Year’s resolutions you made over a month and a half ago. Life gets busy and we forget all about what we thought was so important then. It’s the mid-winter blues and we need a little boost. Although the weather has been beautiful here it’s that time of the year when there is a long stretch of work time with no holiday until Easter. I was sent this poem a while ago through an email. I wish I had written it but I didn't. The author is unknown. This is a great shot in the arm and we all need that once in a while. This poem gives it to us.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won if he'd stuck it out.

Don't give up, though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are -

It may be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

We all need a way to remember what is important to us. We all need that reminder to never give up. So as we go through the last weeks of winter into the hot days of summer, we should remember to fight the "fight when you’re hardest hit—when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit." Don’t ever quit.

Loxley resident Valerie J. Steimle is the author of two books, “Home Is Where The Heart Is, A look at strengthening the American Family,” and her latest book, “Home Is Where The Learning Is” (www.amazon.com/gp/product/1403379637). Contact her at valeriesteimle@yahoo.com or visit her website at www.stengthenyourhome.com.