When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.

Teddy Roosevelt

I have had more than my share of adversity in life, but that’s OK. Since it didn’t break me, it made me a stronger person. There were times when I just didn’t think life was worth the struggles. But, those times never got a hold on me. I managed to get through them. You could say, when I was at the end of my rope, I tied a knot and held on until things finally got better.

It is for this reason that I was immediately drawn to the Teddy Roosevelt quote above. I admired Teddy for his tenacity and directness. He got to the point, he didn’t draw things out. He is close to being my favorite Republican, mainly because he didn’t act anything like a current-day Republican.

Like everyone else, including yours truly and even you, he had several different sides to his nature. I didn’t like his macho nature, it turned me off. But his empathy towards those who struggled in life overcame that and more. He took on the Robber Barons when nobody else would. When I read the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin entitled The Bully Pulpit, it enamored me more to him. Just thinking about the book has drawn me to read it once again.