When it’s over

“When the worse is over, you’ll hardly remember it all. Trust me, people tend to forget the hardships they suffer, when ‘normality’ is restored”.

She stared at her aunt emitting words of wisdom. Her eyes were still puffy and red from the crying, but she had no more tears to shed. She was drained of energy and too exhausted to even speak.

“We’ve all been there. In some form or other. People experience all sorts of adversities in their life. It may be a separation, a loss, having to search for a house and move, having to build a life from scratch, dealing with bureaucracy, managing the lack of inefficiency or communication; all kinds of things. Whatever you can imagine. For each person, a challenge or a difficulty is interpreted differently. But there is one thing in common for all: whatever it is, however much you suffer, you always endure and come out stronger. The toil helps us become better people”.

“There is a truth that you find out who your real friends are when you’re in need of support. But the most profound truth is that in difficulty you discover yourself too. Who you are. And you’re amazed at how much the human spirit can withstand and survive”.

“So don’t despair. It will all pass. And you’ll look back, recalling the details you’ll soon wash away from memory, and you’ll laugh”.

She cracked a smile and her eyes sparkled again. Her aunt always had a way of making everything seem brighter. Even in the darkest of times, there is always a brink of light shining somewhere. She just needed someone to help her see it.

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Exploiting opportunities

They had prepared for a weekend away. She had planned it in her head so perfectly. But usually when that happens – when you long for something too long and linger on it for a prolonged period of time – it almost never works out as you had hoped.

First, she missed the bus. Then, he was held overtime at work. By the time they managed to encounter, the day had almost passed.

And then, of course, torrential rain broke out and emergency alerts warned of a cyclone with strong winds and high seas. It was the exact opposite of the weekend planned.

The point of being able to enjoy life, however, is to have the capacity of making the most out of every situation, no matter how adverse or unfavourable it may seem.

He had equipped the kitchen with snacks and food to cook together. The essence was to spend time together, even if it meant staying in. Sometimes, this too can be fun – a healthy homemade meal, and watching movies snuggled on the couch.

“Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity”

“Your big opportunity may be right where you are now” – Napoleon Hill