Back from South Africa

I’ve been in South Africa, in Kwa-Zulu Natal as my father has been very ill. Life is messy and there will always be events around the corner ready to test your resilience.

Thankfully, my father has pulled through although very weak and temporarily unable to walk. It made me wonder why life is so hard at times.  Why good things happen to those who don’t deserve it and why bad things happen to good people. I guess the answer to that is that life isn’t always fair. I like to be philosophical though and believe in a higher good. Somehow, someway, I like to believe in karma.

When times are tough and there are few answers, it helps to have a strong core – something to comfort you when everything seems strange and scary. For some this is religion, for others a strong inner sense of self belief..whatever it is, I have realised that it is necessary to have something to keep you feeling strong and ‘together’ when all the usual things fall away.

Although I grew up in Johannesburg in South Africa, I know very little about Kwa-Zulu Natal and felt very lost and alone there. There were days when I honestly had no idea as to my next step. I didn’t have solutions and so much of what I was experiencing was completely beyond my control. Not a nice place to be but now that I am back home, I feel that much stronger and resilient. It is only through putting yourself into unfamiliar situations that test you that you understand your strengths and weaknesses and learn what you are capable of.

So, next time you feel completely lost and overwhelmed by life, just remember that you will grow and learn from the experience and that is really is okay to not know the answers…or even know the next step.

Mandy X

Photo by flowcomm

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.