There are times when you least expect it where memories come out of nowhere, tap you on the shoulder, and remind you of a time now in the past.

Some memories are fond. Others are very painful.

A recent call to my Mom brought one of the painful ones to the front of the class.

Two letters, a vowel and a consonant, joined together to form one small and potentially impactful word.

It’s been said that “small hinges swing large doors”.

What’s true of doors is also true of how words are used.

As a child do you recall going to the local swimming pool and diving into the water for the first time off the diving board?

Whether it was the high dive or low dive it can be summed up in one word.

Terrifying.

Earlier this week, I do not recall if it was an unsolicited thought which surfaced from the past or whether I saw a part of the phrase in print which brought the memory back to life.

Whatever the case, my mind drifted back to a time gone by where I had the honor of coaching “my gals” basketball team.

You may be reading this post and you might be saying aloud or thinking, “Thank God this is the last of the Rocky themed posts!”

If your sentiment echoes those thoughts or words, I’m OK with it.

Honestly.

Today was slotted for the final installment of the recent “The Rocky in Your Mirror” series.

I’m opting out of writing it for now. It can wait until next week, Lord willing.

As I get older, there are periodic moments where the temptation to recount life through the eyes watching me through the rear view mirror seem to press in on me.

You know exactly what I mean as you have been there too.

Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt as if your back has been up against the wall?

Perhaps the question should be not if you had a time like this, but how many times you have visited this painted-into-a-corner spot in the room.

I am talking about a time where there appears to be no apparent option at your disposal and you are left fumbling for an answer or a direction in which to turn.

We have all been there at one time or another.

Life happens to all of us.

One minute we’re up. The next minute we’re down. If those two options don’t suit, we’re a mixture of sideways, upside down, or inside out.

Whatever the case life is unrelenting at times, barely allowing us to breathe.

If we are not careful about how we deal with life’s challenges, they will wear us down.

Life has a way of backing us into a corner at times.

If we were honest with ourselves, we would affirm life backs us into a corner much of the time!

Why do we find ourselves up against the ropes, dodging a right hook or a left jab, with an unending volley of punches landing with blunt force?