Britt Riner

Loving America ❤ as a Navy Wife ⚓ Mama to 5 👶🏼 and community advocate 👍 | FloGrown with a Sunshine state of mind ☀ | America is #1 🇺🇸 E Pluribus Unum

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

. @FoxNewsLife published my work - check it out! 🇺🇸 #EPluribusUnum

[Fox News Lifestyle @FoxNewsLife]

Why America's motto can be your family's motto this school year, one mom reveals https://t.co/zxGyNun47K

[Andrew Daub @TheResoluteLife]

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” - Romans 5:3-4

Last week a story went viral that says a difficult life isn’t worth living. I want to offer a different perspective:

The Hard Road Is The Point.

There’s a growing lie baked into modern culture that life is supposed to be smooth. Convenient. Perfect. That if things are difficult, something’s gone wrong. That suffering is a malfunction, not a feature.

So people spend their lives optimizing for comfort. Avoiding friction and inconvenience. Looking for the shortcut, the hack, the easier path.

And they miss the whole point.

The beauty of a life well-lived isn’t found despite the struggle - it’s forged inside it. Character doesn’t grow in comfort. It grows under pressure, strain, stress and adversity. Gratitude doesn’t come from ease. It comes from having walked through something hard and making it to the other side.

The ancient understanding - the one we’ve traded for comfort - is that suffering carries meaning. That the valley isn’t a detour. It is the journey.

Truth is, when you strip away the hard parts, you don’t get a better life. You get a shallow one.

Because the rough road isn’t a sign you’re doing it wrong.

It might be the surest sign you’re doing it right.

My son Iron Will has Down syndrome. He spent his earliest months in a walker just to build the strength to stand. Every step was a fight. Every inchstone and milestone was hard won. And watching him work, really work, for things that come effortlessly to other kids didn’t break my heart. It expanded it. Because what I saw wasn’t limitation. I saw determination unencumbered by societal expectations. I saw joy that doesn’t depend on easy. I saw a little boy who gets up every single time, grins, and goes again on his own terms, at his own pace.

My brave little son didn’t teach me about suffering. He taught me what it looks like to pursue life fully - without fear, without shortcuts, and without ever being told what he can’t do.

When we decide a life will be too hard before it begins - based on the inherent limitations of our mortal understanding - we end a story before it ever has the chance to be written.

We will never tell Iron Will, or any of our children, that the hard road isn’t worth it.

Because the greatest stories ever told involve suffering that produces endurance that produces character that produces hope.

And hope changes everything.

#TeamIronWill #DownSyndromeAdvocacy #IronWill #SayYesToPossibility

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Thanks Fox for sharing our family’s tradition for a meaningful Memorial Day - set an extra plate at the table for the hero who never came home 🇺🇸

[Fox News Lifestyle @FoxNewsLife]

On Memorial Day, leave an empty seat at the table for the 'Missing Hero' who gave selflessly for our freedoms https://t.co/hLgFrBWBQn

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Yes, I am sending a Valentine to my mama. Here’s why I think it’s a good idea

[Fox News Lifestyle @FoxNewsLife]

Valentine's Day secret: Special occasion up ahead is not just for lovers https://t.co/Dgv6vIS5F2

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Glad @FoxNewsLife allowed me to share this life-altering practice I do each year with my family

[Fox News Lifestyle @FoxNewsLife]

Nixed your New Year’s resolutions already? This mom moved past 'failure,' found joy in a 'positive past' https://t.co/ZWTW6Sr5K9

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Thanks @briana_bozkurt for highlighting how heroic our #TeamSMH staff was during Hurricane Ian - and still is today!

[Briana Bozkurt @briana_bozkurt]

Lee, Charlotte, & South Sarasota County patients only had one place to go during the hurricane and that was SMH-Venice. Staff is working around the clock to make sure no one is left untreated. We’ll have more tonight @snntv

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Caring for those who care for others is a joy. So very proud of our #TeamSMH who keep taking care of our town, no matter life’s storms!

[Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 @ChristinaPushaw]

Gas in Florida: $3.11
Gas in California: $6.18

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Huge gift from local Sarasota company. Thank you @rumblevideo !

[Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 @ChristinaPushaw]

Wow!! First Lady @CaseyDeSantis just announced that https://t.co/vOJvQY21fx has raised $10 million from generous individuals & companies, including Sarasota's @rumblevideo. This fund will meet the needs of Floridians impacted by #HurricaneIan more microtargeted than gov't aid.

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Yes!

[Dana Perino @DanaPerino]

🇺🇸

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

❤️🇺🇸💪

[Fox News Lifestyle @FoxNewsLife]

Florida wife of veteran, their home without power due to Hurricane Ian, says 'America will rebuild' https://t.co/E8bWiWDEpv

[Patricia Heaton @PatriciaHeaton]

Great reminder that babies in the womb are human beings who move, feel, react…

[Fox News Lifestyle @FoxNewsLife]

Georgia Military College honors Gold Star students, commits to 36 full-tuition scholarships https://t.co/bMwhoifVeM

[AmericanHeritageGirls @AHGnews]

American Heritage Girls is committed to remaining Christ-centered & girl-focused.
Learn more at https://t.co/eKEi3iOf9a
Check out the AHG Oath below.

[MS NOW @MSNOWNews]

BREAKING: On 100th anniv. of the 19th Amendment's ratification, President Trump says he will pardon women's suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony, who was convicted of illegally voting in 1872.

[Britt Riner @BrittRiner]

Proud to have voted for this! #smhNews

[WFLA NEWS @WFLA]

'TAKE ME HOME!': After 49 long days of battling COVID-19, Navy veteran Steve Hefler was released from @SMHCS today and reunited with his wife. STORY: https://t.co/C8nVbHD5KC

[Concerned Veterans for America @ConcernedVets]

Despite ballooning budgets, @DeptVetAffairs is still struggling to offer timely care to veterans. They need to expand community care options to ensure all veterans get the care they need. #Veterans
https://t.co/jJOpjItBMw

[Concerned Veterans for America @ConcernedVets]

Stay healthy and well-informed during the COVID-19 outbreak! Our sister organization @CVAFoundation has compiled this list of resources to arm veterans with information they can use to navigate this challenging time. https://t.co/6iqnvTWBRo

[James Madison Institute @JmsMadisonInst]

Great panel in Sarasota talking about the 2018 Legislative Session with @RepJimBoyd, @JoeGruters, and @gregsteube