A word about strength

A few days ago, I was chatting with a friend of almost 20 years regarding the last few years of my life. They have been filled with challenges, heart ache, and hope. She said, "Are you a diamond or something?" I'm always amazed when people tell me how strong I am. I guess I don't often feel that way.
People don't see me at my weakest. They don't see the anger, the fear, or the tears I cry. I don't always feel strong. Something I have learned about strength is we never really know how strong we are until we are put into a situation that requires us to give our everything. Suddenly, we manage to find strength that we never even knew we possessed. Strength is in each of us, and it is up to us to find it.
Life isn't always easy. My life is the perfect definition of trials. Yet somehow we all have the chance to pull ahead. The chance to embrace the challenges, learn from them, and eventually love them. Perhaps learning to love our trials is the greatest strength.
Learning to accept that my daughter had autism want easy for me. In fact, that topped every trial I had ever faced. I felt so alone and lost. I really wanted to shut myself in my room and sleep for days. Instead I leaned on my faith to find strength. Here I am just over six months later. As a mother, I feel like I have grown tremendously. Sure I still yell sometimes, sure I still make mistakes, but I'm able to better handle myself compared to six months ago. I have yet to shut myself away and sleep for days (even though I have days where that is tempting). I wake up every morning, smile for my daughter, tell her I love her, and I find the strength to fight for her in a world where she is misunderstood.