There are times when life deals us a heavy blows, when our world is turned upside down and every quest for answers ends in even greater misery. I'm not trying to be an online superstar. I'm just an ordinary girl who wants to share her experiences in the hopes that it will encourage someone who feels like they are at the end of their rope. This is my story.
In the year 2003, my paternal Grandma, a loving, compassionate woman with a killer sense of humor and outstanding dress sense, succumbed to Diabetes and passed on. She was only in her sixties. A retired primary school teacher, mother, wife, sister and grandmother, she was adored by everyone that knew her and took pride in loving others to the best of her ability.
Blessed with 12 grand-children, ranging from the ages of 1 to 18 years, her house was always packed with all of us kids, playing, running, screaming and being a terrible nuisance. Never did she yell at us when we broke her favorite china cups or scribbled on the walls or squeezed out all the toothpaste just for the fun of it. A broad smile was a permanent feature on her face, and her laughter, a song that played on and on through out the day.
Just 24 hours before she passed, she had spent the entire night nursing my uncle, who had a terrible case of food poisoning. He recovered. At that time, none of us could have guessed that just a day later, this Wonder Woman would be no more.
When we heard the news at 3 in the morning, our lives just about fell apart.I burst into violent sobs while my sister wept quietly. My usually cheerful and composed Dad looked like he'd just been hit by a train. Over the next 3 days, we cried and shared anecdotes about Grandma's life and legacy with tens of equally traumatized friends and relatives.
And for the very first time, I sang before an audience of hundreds at her funeral. Before her passing, I had been an extremely shy girl who would rather have eaten sand than stood in front of a crowd. But her death gave me the strength and courage to do what I'd always dreaded and avoided. Her legacy gave me a sense of purpose. I remembered the times she would listen to me sing and applaud me, even when her health was at its worst. That motivated me to step out of my comfort-zone and share my gift of song with the world.
And so I sang, " Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...", tears streaming down my face, on that rainy October afternoon, which also happened to be my birthday.
Looking back, my Grandma's passing was the beginning of a wonderful new Chapter in my life. Since then, I have sang at countless events, written numerous magazine articles and even done some Motivational speaking....and I'm getting better everyday!
It may feel like your life is one big, irreparable mess, but behind every cloud is a silver lining. Hold on, keep the faith and go for your dreams. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and press on. You are stronger than you can ever imagine. Use your pain to make a difference in the world. The best in life is waiting especially for you!
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