Perseverance with a Dose of Comfort

From the Monstarot Tarot, the Nine of Wands; from the Oracle of Toy Classics, the Teddy Bear:

          With one blackened eye, this monster looks a little battered and sleep-deprived. But he's determined to stay awake and alert to see things safely through to their completion. What keeps his spirits up when he is so weary? The goal is in sight, but he also has those eight other wands to remind him of other challenges he's conquered. Yet the Teddy Bear is a reminder that we're rarely alone in our battles unless we choose to be. It's keyword is 'comfort' and its adage reads:

A friend in need is a friend indeed. 

To have a friend who will help us weather the bad times as well as celebrate the good times is a blessing. This morning I found this quote from Simone Weil in my email inbox: "The capacity to give one’s attention to a sufferer is a very rare and difficult thing. It is almost a miracle. It is a miracle." It is a rare friend who can sit with us or stand by us, especially if they are powerless to change our circumstances or fix the problem. But by not leaving us alone to face whatever is in front of us, we often find the support and comfort we need to get through it.