“How much further?” I asked my beloved father on several occasions. The response would always be the same “It’s just around the corner”. When I am near the end of my frequent cliff top walks, exhausted but exhilarated, I often smile and tell myself that the end of my hike is “just around the corner”.
In my moments of grief, I not only recall his stories, but also the lessons my father taught me about resilience and the ability to face my fears. He, like so many of us, faced challenges and bounced back with determination. Some may refer to it as pig headedness or stubbornness! He always managed to achieve what he desired in the end and he has been a great role model for me and a source of inspiration for many others. My father helped to face my fears head on by examining worse case scenarios when I have needed to make important decisions in my life. It would start with “what if? ….and then what would happen? …….and then what?……” all the way to the end of my thought process forcing me to realise that the worst case scenario is not as bad as I thought it could be. Examining potential outcomes, advantageous or otherwise, gives me the confidence to forge ahead and put my energy into all the positives.
My father’s legacy lives on and is even more poignant now as we face evolving circumstances. I remind myself that whatever we are going through right now, it won’t last forever, and that the end of this period in time is “just around the corner”.