I must apologise to my readers for no post last week. I have already been contacted by a few asking if everything is ok, and indeed it is, but for me, writing is such a personal and emotional process that when something blindsides you on a quiet Saturday morning, it tends to dry up the creative process.
It’s been a long week for many reasons, the world is in a bit of a state, my country definitely not excluded. Our youngest granddaughter in hospital – thankfully she is fine, and we have bade farewell to a young man not yet quite one score and ten, leaving a young widow and a shattered family. However, even though they can’t see it now, the sun will shine again for them, maybe not exactly as it did in the past, but equally as warm and welcoming.
But moving onto something more positive.
It’s amazing what can be achieved when a person finds his, or her, niche, that place where they just fit and are wholeheartedly accepted.
I have someone very near and dear to me who has devoted the vast majority of her adult life to raising children and keeping a home together, sometimes under challenging circumstances. It was, for a long time, her greatest achievement. She lived in the shadow of many, both in and out of the family who were achieving in various ways. Besides some dabbling at school, she had never played any sport but was content to retreat into books, or under a blanket in front of the TV, with her family and diminishing social circle the limit of her human interaction.
Then one fateful day in 2010 she, surprisingly, accepted an invitation to partake in a fun lawn bowls day at our local sports club and, instantly, it was like a bright light had been illuminated. She took to the sport immediately, with her early successes in the most challenging format of the game, singles. By her own admission, this was surprising as “putting herself out there” was not something she would even consider, let alone do, but put herself out there she did, and her singles achievements were something special to celebrate. For the first time her victories were hers alone. It was wonderful to watch her slowly come to life as her confidence on, and off, the field of play grew.
2019, she and three of her closest friends have achieved a stunning triumph by winning both the provincial and national championships in the same year. What a journey of self-discovery it has been for her, no longer living in anyone’s shadow.
How many of us go through life without finding “that something”? It doesn’t have to be winning national titles, just something that feeds you, something that provides you with a sense of personal achievement, however big, or small. Sadly, I think, many of us never discover our niche and spend our lives trying to fit the dreams and aspirations of others resulting in hollow happiness.
Many of you have been asking about the young man with the neat blanket, but for the last two weeks I haven’t seen him, I can only hope that he has found something the will bring him some measure of self-worth and the ability to find his place, however humble it may be.
As for me, it is I who is suddenly living in a very big shadow, something which, for now, I am very happy to do.
