Today has been a busy day, so much so that I got home at two this afternoon and sagged quietly in front of my to-write blog, and nothing much came to mind.

It is the anniversary of my father’s death today, and last year, that was Easter Monday. Easter is late this year.

Since this time last year my brother Pieter, a beloved dad, son, brother, colleague… has also passed on, his long battle with cancer fought bravely to the very end.

And one of my bestest friends has also died, finally succumbing to internal bleeding caused by a biopsy gone wrong.

Three reasons to feel sad, but also to be grateful to remember what really matters in this life: Faith, hope and love.

When hubby sees someone doing something unkind, or behaving badly, he will sometimes say, ‘Maybe s/he has a secret sorrow…’ and I nod. But lately, I have said, ‘Yes, but we all do!’ and most of us exercise that quiet heroism which goes un-noticed. We don’t make a great song and dance about our misfortunes, do we, but carry on, hoping for better luck next time. Our plans fail, wither, or fall off the tree altogether, and we gather ourselves and walk on.

Occasionally, the path is brightened by a shaft of light, a smile, a shared sense of achievement in something going well. In a sense, we have no choice but to go on forward, because the roads of life only lead us there, so we might as well go cheerfully.

But I think I began to appreciate the value of quiet heroism, when in the streets near our houses, I saw how many businesses came and went. Each time, the hopeful business start-up would invest in furnishings, signage, tills, counters, book-keeping….All these costs to start a business that had doubtless been cherished and dreamed of for years, only for the dream to fade. But optimism rarely dies completely, and so we come back again, older, wiser, and ready for the next challenge.

Knowing that there are worse things than ‘failure’ I am more than ever determined to go forward, to learn, to have courage and not to give up.

Many blessings, and happy Easter to you all. Thanks for reading.

 

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