Another year almost done and dusted!
This Christmas was the first Christmas my wife and I have spent without any of our parents. Our remaining parent passed away earlier this year.
In the last six years we have lost three parents and several people close to us.
As a child you wonder what life would be like without your parents. I don’t think anything fully prepares you for the death of a loved one.
Covid restrictions made the death of our remaining parent more difficult to deal with as it was difficult to visit them (they lived five hours away) and then organise the funeral (telling people they cannot come to the funeral of a friend of fifty or sixty years was not a fun experience).
From March 2020 to October 2021, I spoke to 7 or 8 people a week who were in lockdown or in hotel quarantine.
I noticed two things from talking to these people.
- Those really struggling with being in lockdown all had one thing in common. They were focused on what they could not do.
- Those who were coping also had one thing in common. They were focused on what they could do.
If you focus on what you cannot do it sooner or later becomes a source of overwhelming, which leaves you helpless and your life spiralling downwards.
Whereas if you focus on what you can do, life can still be tough, but you find things to enjoy, be thankful or grateful for.
Being overwhelmed by life or overcoming what is in your way is your choice.
Which path do you want walk?
