Grateful 6 & 7 May: People & Life

I had a busy 2 days. Yesterday, I attended my aunt’s funeral, met up with some friends for lunch, and then visited another friend at the hospital. And today, it was training preparation before I decided to visit my friend at the hospital again. Despite the packed schedule, it was meaningful, especially as it involved a full spectrum of people in my life. So let me give thanks for the following: 

• Family & Friends. The theme that ran through these 2 days centred around life and the people who journey with me through it. My aunt’s funeral was an emotional event, especially when the casket was moved in for the cremation. The event reminded me of how short life is, having known and interacted with my aunt since I was young, and now she is gone. I was also reminded of mortality when I had lunch with a friend who is suffering from cancer, and later when I visited another friend who is in the final weeks/ months of his life. These events reminded me of the importance of valuing life and being thankful for the time we have with our family and friends. 

• Fellow Trainers. Apart from the many activities happening, I was also caught up with training preparation. 2 days ago, I received a call from a peer trainer. She sounded flustered as the training dates given to her at short notice clashed with her other commitments, and she asked if I could stand in for her. The training is over the coming weekend. With only 4 days before the training delivery, it was indeed very last minute. I agreed as I had delivered this module before. Above all, I was thankful that it gave me the opportunity to stay familiar with this particular module. But more importantly, I was thankful that I was able to stand in for my fellow trainer. 

• Self. It had been an extremely exhausting few days with the wake, the early funeral, and days packed with activities - lunch, hospital visits, training preparation, and so on. So I am thankful that I was able to sleep well through the night over the last two nights. This is especially meaningful given the many nights of insomnia I had before that. The sleep was really good, and I woke up feeling properly rested. 

It had been an interesting 2 days where life, busyness, and loss all sat alongside each other. One moment, we are grieving someone who has passed on; the next, we are supporting those still fighting through illness, while continuing with our own responsibilities and routines. Significantly, these 2 days involved the full spectrum of people in my life - family, friends, peer trainer, and my own self. And perhaps that is what life really is - learning to hold joy, sorrow, purpose, fatigue, and gratitude all at the same time. And for that awareness, I am thankful.