One step forward, 100 steps back

We had about 4 weeks to enjoy our finished basement.  I would go down and just sit and look around and feel accomplished for hours.  We were beginning other projects we had put off to finish the basement, and we finally felt like we were moving forward.  Then one of our cats got very sick, and he passed away May 14th.  I want to talk more about it, but I can't because I'm still not ok about it.  We took about a week to grieve, and were getting ready to start working on our projects again, then our town had a lot of rain in a very short time, our sump pump failed, and the basement flooded May 23rd.  Thankfully, we caught it early enough and had enough people rush over to our house at midnight with shop vacs that the damage wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.  None of our furniture got damaged, but we had to tear out all of the flooring and 1 foot of drywall around every room we had just completed.  I guess I can say it's been a bad couple of months.  All of the furniture and other things from downstairs is now overflowing upstairs, in the office, in the bedroom, in the living room, in the garage.  Our poor basement is empty, drywall half done.  The restoration company wanted a few thousand dollars more than we have to put things back the way they were, so we are doing most of the work ourselves.  New carpet is being installed next week, and I'm terrified we won't be done with drywall in time.  I have a hard time (a REALLY hard time) accepting  help, so it's getting done in the time it takes my poor aching body to push through and work.  Zach is doing what he can, but he lacks the finesse to smooth on mud, and that job has fallen on my shoulders... and there's a lot of mudding to do.
As bad as it seems to us, it could have been worse.  A LOT worse.  Even though I understand this, and remind myself often of this fact, I'm still having trouble being positive and thankful.  I'm feeling empty in a way I'm not sure I've ever felt.  I'm feeling hopeless in a way I'm not sure I've ever felt.  I've gotten fat.  Again.  It seems as though every time we take a big step, see a light at the end of the tunnel, well... in the immortal words of Metallica:

Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel

Is just a freight train coming your way

It's not natural for me to be positive.  I have a tendency to find the negative in everything, but I try so.very.hard. to look up and see the good in bad situations.  I try so very hard at a lot of things.  It feels like I'm being tested, and I'm failing.  All the time.  And I just keep plugging away, because I don't know what else to do.  And I keep smiling, because I don't know what else to do.