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Saturday, April 14, 2012

resilience





On the way home from visiting my Grandmother, we stopped into a small town where my friend A. lives. Every time I am in Ontario, I try my best to see her.
In the summer of 2010, when A. was 8 months pregnant with their first child, A's husband had a boating accident and drowned when he was on duty. He was a police officer (just like my husband) and they had been posted to a small isolate community in the Yukon. It was unexpected and tragic and to this day it I can't shake it off.
My friend has had to go through so much since her husband's passing. She was left to have their baby on her own, to be a single mother and to be a young widow in her twenties. To me it is unfair and I ask God all the time ... why?  It shouldn't have been this way for her. My heart breaks for her every time I think of her and her sweet baby and her dear beloved.
There are no answers. Whether you believe in God or a higher being or just that "everything happens for a reason", it still doesn't make sense. I think about her and their sweet baby J all the time, and pray for them often.
I'm not sure why I am recounting this but I guess I wanted to write it down. It is something that I have avoided writing about on my blog for a long time because it is a personal story that is not mine to tell, yet it has affected me in many ways. From her story, I have learnt some important lessons about life, resilience, strength and love. My friend's story made me realize that I should never take for granted my husband and the relationship that we have, or any important relationship for that matter. It has also taught me to be more appreciative of what I have, that no matter what, someone else has it much worse than me. I really have taken away a lot from her experiences and in a situation where nothing can be changed, I think that it's important to at least try to take something away from it.
We had a good cry together when I saw her this past week. It reminded me that there is still so much pain in her heart. My dear friend is making it day by day and figuring out how to live her life now that her beloved is gone. No doubt she has good days and bad days, but she is strong and her strength amazes me. She inspires me to be a better, more compassionate person.
xox

5 comments:

  1. Her story has made a deep imprint on my heart forever and ever.

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  2. I barely know her and she has impacted my life in a way no other has. There are days when sadness strikes me, or I think I can't do this life anymore and I think of her and find the strength to carry on. I hope to never walk a second in her shoes but Thank God that J got her as a mom because he has one amazing role model to look up to his entire life.

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  3. That is just heartbreaking. I learned just over a year ago that some things just simply don't make sense. And to be honest, it's changed my faith. My heart goes out to your friend.

    Also, I like your new header picture. xoxo

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  4. This story is unbelievable.
    I am glad she has friends like you, Johanna.

    xoxo

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  5. My comment is the exact same as Sarah's. She is one hell of an amazing woman and I just wish she was within visiting distance!

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