Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilised by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself. – Walter Anderson
Losing someone you love – whether it be through death, a relationship breakup, or a miscarriage – can be a painful and challenging life experience. Losing someone is a life challenge that happens to all of us, and for some of us, it happens more than once in our lives.
The loss of my parents was a life test that threw my world into chaos and pain.
In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. – Tom Bodett
I love the quote from author Tom Bodett as he explains so well how we are taught our lessons of life: we have to be tested to learn the lesson. Losing someone you love is a test of life, and you have no control over the tests or challenges that life throws at you. What you do have, however, is the power to control your response to these life challenges.
Here are seven valuable things that I have learned as a result of losing people in my life whom I have loved deeply.
I would like to share these learnings with you to encourage you to live your life to the fullest, to chase your dreams, to deal with the curveballs that life throws at you, to seize the moment, and to treasure the gifts of life, love, and laughter.
