Small Moral Victories

Small moral victories come in a variety of situations.

For example, let's say it's a random Saturday and you're forced to go to a work function and you're not really enthused about it. To make matters worse, let's say you're feeling ugly, fat, and generally unattractive. Going out in public is the last thing you want to do. But it's "work" and rather than lie about some battle with food poisoning, you suck it up and attend anyway. Somehow in this endeavor, fate steps in and you run into someone you haven't seen in quite some time, someone you find attractive, someone you may have wanted to date in some previous life stage. Maybe later in the evening, you end up spending some quality time with this individual, and lo and behold, he actually finds you attractive. You start to feel pretty good about yourself and are glad the night ended up the way it did. This is a small moral victory.

That's actually a pretty quality example of a small moral victory.

Today's small moral victory isn't quite as exciting but perhaps just as vital in its own way.

Today marks three full weeks that I've been back in Mount Carmel and living at home. And since 2005, this is the longest I've been home in one setting. I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with myself. There hasn't been a breakdown of "Oh God, what have I don with myself?" or "Really, I'm still here" or "Oh sweet mercy, get me out of here!" I've often felt these things in the past on trips home, much shorter trips. So it's been nice that I've lasted longer and feel pretty good about myself and this situation. My down time has been relaxing. I'm entering the phase of pretty heavy reflection, trying to let go of some anger and bitterness I've carried with me, as I move on with my life. I still have some steps to take, but it has definitely been worth it so far. I feel pretty good about myself. And I think given the situation, this is definitely a small moral victory for my self-esteem.