“their heart grew cold they let their wings down” ― Sappho

“their heart grew cold they let their wings down” ― Sappho

As happens every year, I’ve got a sinus problem. It went from 75 degrees to 40 literally over night and the whole family was plunged into various types of illness. This year has been the year of stomach problems as much as last year was the one of respiratory ones. I’m feeling icky as usual this time of year, but possibly ickier than usual.

So I have a question…when do you know you’ve tried enough? Tried enough to oh, fix that friendship, rescue that friend, climb that mountain, repair that car, achieve that goal,  etc.

When do you know it is time to give up? How bad does it have to get? Do you have to have lost ALL good things about the situation or just most? Do you have some indicator that tells you “yes you have done your best. Yes you have tried and tried again and that’s quite enough thank you.”

Is it when you just get too tired? Or is that a different kind of tipping point? Maybe you get resigned or fall over into burned out and then you just keep going because it doesn’t matter anymore. Maybe that is something to, I know this sounds strange, hope for in some situations? Maybe then you just do what you do and the outcome is simply what it is and you just stop caring?

But what if every time to think about this situation or relationship the only thing you can feel anymore is trepidation or even anger? What if the good that is left is small in comparison to everything that is well not good?

When is enough enough?