Last year, I was hurting. Ok, Jerry, the truth is you were hurting very badly.

Debbie was going through chemo, Jean was looking for a job, and I was facing unemployment. A year later, Debbie is in remission, Jean has two job offers, and I am enjoying my full-time job from home. Such is life. As Debbie lay in bed, for 4 days in a row after chemo, I would hold her hand and cling to hope. Slowly, I would get cynical. WHY ME? I am hurting. I need help.

Being a caretaker for nearly two years to someone going through cancer was emotionally, mentally, financially, and psychologically challenging. I had to make it through. Life still had to be lived, and the bills had to be paid.

I was hurting. However, it was the unconditional love, support, charity, service, and compassion of countless friends, family, and neighbors that helped me pull through.

How are you dealing with Covid? Hang in there, we will make it through. I am an emotional wreck. I am weak mentally, physically, spiritually, and psychologically. YET! I made it through. I honestly felt like someone was carrying me through the whole ordeal. I was hurting, and I knew it. I got help. I took care of myself.

Pastor Natalie has come to realize that we must take pauses, or we are just experiencing life passing us by quickly! Every day, there are several moments we can perhaps all talk about and be an encouragement to someone else. I talked to Pastor Natalie about some of the very issues I faced last year, and she answered with grace, love, compassion, and empathy. If you are hurting, this interview provides you with some of the answers.

Natalie, welcome. Tell me something important and unique about you? 

Hello Jerry, thank you for this opportunity. There are a few things I can say that is unique to me. First, I was born and raised in New York and currently live in Central Florida. I have a great passion for bringing encouragement to others. I have had the honor of helping others in my community and worldwide virtually. It is important to me that I have left an encouraging print everywhere I go and the things I do.

As a writer, I have a blog where I bring every day encouraging moments to my readers. I believe there are several moments taking place in our lives and we must pause and take moments to enjoy and reflect on daily.

Currently, I also co-pastor alongside my husband overseeing operations at a non-profit organization called, Resplendency. We have been able especially during these trying times to support our local health care heroes, work with another organization to bring food to families in need and just bring support and encouragement to as many as we could. I have had the honor of hosting annual Women’s Conferences both in-person and online. I also have been honored to have several opportunities to be a guest speaker and writer.

In 2020, I was facing unemployment, my wife was diagnosed with cancer and a trip I was looking forward to got canceled. However, I clung to hope. Talk to me about hope. What is it? Why should we cling to it? 

Jerry, first I want to say that I am very sorry that you and your wife have had to face some serious times of testing. Disappointments and overwhelming moments in life can bring discouragement but I am so happy that you clung to hope. Hope brings an acceptance of what is happening. It provides an expectant end.

Hope carries a sense that things will change. It brings assurance that ‘it will not always be this way.’ Clinging to hope is so important because without it you can live in despair and dread. Without hope, you will deal with so many emotions that can bombard you that you can become overwhelmed with no sense of a future. 

In clinging to hope, cynicism can creep in. How can we keep cynicism from creeping into our life? 

You are so correct you can become cynical without hope. There is something about turning your heart toward hope that sustains you in ways of change that can take place at any moment. As I said earlier, without hope there is a sense things can never get better. Despair and hopelessness can take hold of our hearts. With that said, to avoid becoming cynical it’s important to pause and reflect where you are and take in what you know to be true and what you see as possibilities ahead that can bring about change.  You may need to talk to someone and be honest about your feelings and be open to their voice in your life.

With that said, I believe that it is in these moments it’s vital to turn our hearts toward God and not away from Him. You learn to live by faith when you live in hope. With hope, there is this sense that, ‘I can go beyond what I see.’ It is a great time to open your heart to God.

Talk to me about a time in your life where you were facing challenges and how did you overcome them? 

For me, this is honestly a loaded question because unfortunately there are several challenges I have had to face over the years that I had to overcome physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, and spiritually. It was during these times where I faced the fact that I either both believed God was real and trusted His plans and purposes through it all or I did not. One particular moment that stands out to me that I will share will be when I was facing a serious illness and had to have surgery. I believed that I would be healed and would not need surgery and yet God had other plans. I had to have the surgery and it was very trying to know I had to walk through this because I know nothing is too hard for God. What I learned is that when we pray for anything and everything, we must remember, “NOT our will, but God’s WILL be done.” I have come to the place with an assurance in my heart that, ‘Father God knows best’ and I can trust Him to bring me all the way through it. I came close to death as a result of this illness and had to walk through very trying moments but I did not lose hope, rather I gained a deeper sense of assurance of how close God really is to each of us and never leaves us alone. On my let’s take a moment blog I recently began writing about my health journey.

Are hope and optimism the same? Why? 

I believe they can be viewed as similar. However, hope in my opinion stems from a place of faith (a reliance upon something bigger outside of ourselves). It is an assurance and confidence that comes because you make the choice to believe in God. Where optimism is more of an outlook that brings hope. To me, a negative mindset will not experience either hope or optimism. To that person, it will seem like nothing can change and everything is always horrible.

In your opinion what does the world need in 2021? Walk me through what it is and how we can use it to make a difference in other people’s lives? 

This is a heavy question and I believe the world needs hope in 2021. There are so many uncertainties with all that each of us has had to face that without hope there really does not seem like anything can change. I see it as everything has been ‘shaken up. This is a great time to reflect on life and make some important decisions first spiritually, then everything else. It is an important time to pay attention to where our hearts are. There needs to be true repentance and forgiveness. There needs to be honesty and continued discussions about where we are and how we can move forward in the right changes. This must include everyone. I see it as a great time to reset your heart, mind, soul, and spirit before God.

I want to know how motherhood and marriage have changed you? 

I believe I have learned how important it is to remain humble and dependent on God in my relationship with my husband and with my children. My marriage would not have lasted if we both did not learn the importance of honesty, humility, and understanding.  To me, the most important for us both is communication with one another. I have learned the importance of denying yourself for others on a whole new level both as a wife and mother. As a mother, I have learned how important it is to pay attention to each child you have and recognize their individuality. It has taught me to be even more understanding and genuinely loving.

What does love your neighbor mean? Why is it so important right now? 

We are living in a world where “It’s ALL about me!” No one else matters. But to love your neighbor genuinely is of the utmost importance right now. You cannot say you want to change in your life and the world around you if you do not even know how to love others. You really cannot even talk about loving God with all your heart, if you do not know how to love others who are different than yourself. Thinking of more than ourselves and doing for others without the intention of what you can get in return, to me, means ‘loving your neighbor.’

As I get older I realize accepting my brokenness, forgiveness, and having compassion for other people has really helped me keep cynicism away. Please comment? 

People will let you down, disappoint you, and even cause serious pain. It really is up to us how we respond. You are right the older you get; you get to a place where you recognize that these things will happen but you do NOT have to allow it to make you something you are not. It is important to choose to forgive even when not asked for forgiveness and make an important choice NOT to keep a record of wrongs. Unforgiveness locks us up. So be intentional to forgive quickly so that you will avoid becoming cynical. 

Help me understand what men can do to make the lives of women in our lives better? 

I can honestly share a lot on this topic but I will try to say just a few things. One is to be attentive to their needs. Women are constantly communicating in a variety of ways, not only in speech but in action. So, pay attention. Another would be to make her feel safe in your presence. This again stems from paying attention to her feelings and the environment. Sometimes, your perspective can be very different from hers so pay attention to body language as much as verbal queues. Don’t feel you always have to respond; be a really good listener. Remember to make sure she knows she is being heard, not by just ‘yessing’ her but answering as you are talking about any topic.

Many people in my audience are hurting. Give them hope?

I want to first say that I am very sorry about all those hurting right now in your audience.  I want to encourage you that without hope there feels like nothing can ever change. I would say you can have hope right now. Things can turn around. Change is possible. I would invite you to pray with me and ask Jesus to come into your life, your heart, your situation right now. Gain a peace that passes natural understanding and begin to rest in all that He can do for you as you put your trust in Him. Let him show you where you need healing and forgiveness and allow Him to do so. It is a gift that we can come to Him just the way we are and we can gain hope because of all that He did on the cross for us.

I would love the opportunity to pray for anyone who would want prayer. I honestly know that God brings hope where there is despair. He brings purpose to our hearts and reassurance that things can change.

The post Hurting To Hope appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Two years after graduating from high school, one of my closest friends committed suicide. I had never dealt with it. I got caught up in university, climbing the corporate ladder, and on the performance treadmill. On my 10th wedding anniversary, as I was having a romantic dinner on the beach in the Mayan Riviera, I asked Debbie how we were doing as a married couple. Her answer about me not being a good sleeper changed my life forever. This week, as I deal with COVID, Debbie is battling cancer, I get a text from a friend that someone we have known all our lives committed suicide. As I get older, I am more aware of mental health. If you read my blog, I have written on forgiveness, patience, self-care, depression, drug, and alcohol abuse.

On Twitter, I found out that Chris Mitchell, a Canadian travel writer and content creator based in Toronto, was starting a podcast on anxiety. I got in touch with him and asked him a few questions about anxiety.  Chris has been writing about and documenting his travels around 80 countries for a decade. Chris is also the cofounder of the Toronto Bloggers Collective, a community dedicated to supporting content creators.  I have been in groups all my life. The Toronto Bloggers Collective is one of the best groups I have been a part of. Chris is friendly, outgoing, sensitive, loving, and passionate. He loves his wife and is real and vulnerable. Abigail Van Buren said that “The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and how he treats people who can’t fight back.”

Many bloggers have liked my style of writing. However, when it came to collaboration it was always about my DA and PA scores. Chris was the first blogger who offered me to write a piece on Bellwoods Brewery. Read this interview a couple of times. Also if you know of anyone struggling with anxiety have them listen to the podcast.

Chris, an honor to have you on Four Columns. We are going to talk about travel, food, marriage, and anxiety. I know you started a podcast on anxiety, what is it, and how does it affect us?

Firstly, let me just thank you for having me on, Jerry. The pleasure is all mine. 

You’re absolutely right, I did just start a podcast on anxiety. It’s called “I’m Anxious About…,” and I’m proud to say it has garnered a fair bit of interest thus far. In short, it’s a podcast where my co-host Allison and I look at a different thing we’re anxious about each week and break it down with plenty of humor and honesty. 

It’s meant to be a place that folks can come for a laugh, but most importantly, it’s a place where we can share our own journey and let folks know they’re not alone. 

So far, the response has been deeply humbling, and I’m grateful I took the gamble in starting this, despite that voice in my head that offered no shortage of doubt and criticism. But that is, in essence, what this podcast is all about, right? Challenging that voice. 

Anyway, if folks are curious, they can find us wherever they find their podcasts. 

Sometimes as men, we put on this macho front. However, we are hurting inside. How did you realize you were suffering from anxiety. What made you realize this is something we have to talk about?

Well, Jerry, that’s a good question. My journey with anxiety started about a decade ago when I lost my best friend unexpectedly. His name was Kiel, and, in truth, he was more like a brother to me than a friend. I felt a lot of pain that more or less concentrated in confusion. 

I still do feel great pain, but now I’ve harnessed that to ensure I can do my best to live for both of us. I try to remember that he’d want me to think of him and smile, so I focus on the good memories. 

When I found out about his passing, it was 2011 and I was living in Seoul, South Korea with Bri. 

I would find that occasionally as we were walking along I’d almost get swept up in a river of my own thoughts. People would be talking to me, but the conversation I had in my head was drowning them out. I’d often have to head off to the bathroom to regroup. 

It took me a long time to realize that these initial struggles which I thought were isolated and fluky incidents were actually the beginning of my anxiety. Or, rather, it took me a long time to accept that. 

I began to question why my initial reaction to feeling like I may be struggling was to hide it – even from my partner. Now, I understand it’s because I had a false notion that having anxiety or depression or what have you made you weak. 

Thankfully, over time, I’ve squashed that falsehood, and now I firmly believe that true strength comes from admitting you’re not perfect, putting your ego aside, and using your openness to engage in conversations that aid others. 

Walk me through how you are dealing with it? Are you taking medication, going to the gym, meditation, or seeing a coach?

I’ve got a lot of things that I try to keep in mind to make sure I’m giving myself a good chance to be my best self. 

Firstly, I start every morning by writing in my 5 Minute Journal where I set intentions for the day. I end my day by writing in the same journal. It helps me to project what I want my day to look like, and be grateful at the end of the day. 

I also meditate and do a stretching sequence before hopping in the shower. This ensures that by the time I’m out of the shower, I’m generally in the right headspace to tackle the day. 

I’ve found that exercise is paramount for me. I exercise every day whether that’s yoga, biking, walking, going to the gym, or anything in between. A big problem I had in the past was not knowing what to do with excess energy, which could lead to me partying a bit more or staying out a bit later, so I know now that I’ve got to make sure I’m giving myself a chance to burn energy. 

There’s just no question – If I’m not exercising, I’m more anxious. 

Sleeping well, or at least trying to get a good amount of sleep also makes an enormous difference for me, so that’s something I prioritize. I talk about it on the podcast, but I just don’t get caught up on whether or not I’ve fallen asleep. I focus on rest, relaxation, and giving myself a second to process. 

Things like eating well, not drinking too much, reading every night and so forth also make a big difference. In particular, I try to ensure I’m reading at least a few books at any one time, with some mixture of fiction and nonfiction. Usually, I read about 70-80 books a year. What’s the expression, “books are the quietest and most constant of friends?” 

Finally, I’m not currently taking any medication or going to therapy. I did do some therapy last year, but, for the most part, I’ve built a lot of systems around myself that enable me to be okay, and I’m also fortunate to have people around me looking out for me. In particular, even if I’m not always at my best, but I’m blessed to have a supportive partner who also knows when I’m not at my best and helps me get back up on my feet when I need it. 

I should note here that everyone has their own journey. For some, therapy and medication are absolutely necessary, so I’m not in any way discouraging that. I also don’t think there’s any shame or weakness in that whatsoever. Everyone needs to do what is right of them.

Funny enough, the podcast is sort of serving as therapy for me, as I rehash what I’ve learned over the past decade that has helped me and may help others. It also keeps me mindful of my own mindset and I find I’m more apt at understanding and disentangling my own emotional state. 

What is your goal with the new podcast? Who is your audience? What are you trying to achieve?

Mainly, I want people to know that they’re not alone, and try also to highlight that laughter can be therapeutic. I’m intentionally diving into the sometimes absurd inner workings of my mind to let others know that it’s okay to have unique, if dizzying, thought patterns here and there. 

We haven’t been live long enough for me to have a true grasp on our audience, but, from the feedback I’ve gotten and those who have reached out to me, it appears to be folks who have suffered from anxiety or, at the very least, know someone who has, or are interested in what anxiety is all about. 

I’d like to think almost anybody could tune in, largely because we chat in a pretty humorous tone in the podcast. It could almost be confused with a comedy set if you entered at the wrong time. That being said, the goal of the podcast isn’t to make light of anxiety. It’s to show that you can have anxiety, but still, enjoy your life, and even laugh at yourself here and there. 

Congrats on winning many awards. What is unique and different about you as a travel blogger that you bring to the table? 

Well thanks, firstly. I feel fortunate to have won many awards in the past, and continue to be considered for awards in the present and future. Each one means something to me, trust me. That is something which will never get old to me, so let’s keep them coming, shall we?! 

Joking aside, I am honoured, as there are so many talented travel writers and bloggers out there. 

As far as what’s different about me, it’s a great question. I honestly don’t know. I mean, I’ve read voraciously since I was young, and I took English Lit. in university, so I think I’ve got the writing structure down pat, but I know it’s more than that. It honestly may come down to my intense curiosity. I’m profoundly interested in the places I visit, and perhaps that comes across to readers. 

I’d also like to think that I’m writing to elevate my readers and not alienate them. Nobody wants to know where I’ve been and how much fun I had, they want to see themselves in my adventures, and know that my writing is empowering them to chase their own adventures. In the end, I write for my readers, and not for myself. 

I also adore writing in the strongest sense. Without writing, I don’t think I’d understand myself or this world. I travel physically with planes, but mentally with words. 

Talk to me about a favorite city of yours/ What is it about that city that we should visit and the food scene?

That would have to be Istanbul, my friend. Istanbul, to me, feels like the centre of the world. I lived there for 3 years, and while I was there, I felt like I had my fingers on the pulse of the planet. I was tapped into millennia of history just by walking around the streets and areas of the present day. 

The food scene is on another level as well, especially when it comes to Turkish breakfast. I’ve actually covered exactly how you should tackle Istanbul (including Turkish breakfast) in this article on my site, appropriately called, “Istanbul Travel Tips – Travel Advice for Istanbul From a Former Resident.” 

I also did an episode on the Amateur Traveler podcast! 

That should help folks out fairly well if they’re looking to visit. I’ve been to 80 countries and thousands of towns, villages, and cities at this point and I’ll be blunt – you have not seen the world until you’ve been to Istanbul. 

It is, to me, the greatest city on the planet.

I see you are a romantic guy. Help me understand how marriage has changed you as a person? What surprised you the most? Do you recommend it?

I do try to be romantic or, at the very least, sentimental. I would say that marriage itself hasn’t necessarily changed my life dramatically, but nothing has had a greater impact on my life than my relationship with Bri. 

We’ve been together 10 years and married 2. So, what I’m saying is I don’t think you have to be married to appreciate your partner or be impacted by them, but I did appreciate the ceremonious commitment. 

Our wedding day was just perfect and brought together people from all over the world. 

I’ve just been lucky enough to have found my soulmate, and I think that’s what it’s all about. I would do anything for Bri, and perhaps marriage is one way we can let our partner know just that. 

I want to know something very challenging you have experienced? What did you do to overcome it?

I had a difficult time readjusting to life in Toronto in 2017 after living in Istanbul for three years. Most notably, I came back to Toronto and decided that I wouldn’t be pursuing teaching opportunities, which was made more ironic by the fact that I had just completed my Masters. 

That being said, I had the sense that I had to go in on my own and see what I could do. It’s a stressful thing to bet all your chips on something, but it’s also invigorating. Though, in retrospect, it was often a fine line between stress and excitement.

I began by growing out of the travelingmitch brand, especially on Twitter where I found a big audience for one reason or another. I began to go to conferences left, right, and center, and I became hungry to both learn and grow. 

Not long after that, I co-founded the Toronto Bloggers Collective because I decided that I couldn’t quite find the community I was looking for in Toronto, so it was time to create it. As you well know, that decision has had a huge positive impact on my life, and I hope it’s positively impacted folks like yourself and other members. 

Then, I started Ultimate Ontario to showcase what was going on in the province alongside Kev from the Toronto Bloggers Collective. As you can see, it was all about keeping moving for me. 

I also founded two podcasts and had my hands in a number of other projects. 

I put myself in a sink or swim scenario and thankfully I learned that I can indeed swim, which is a lesson I’m carrying with me even now. 

When this pandemic hit, it’s not a shock that I started the new podcast on anxiety because my reaction to struggle now is thinking about what I can create to solve problems for others. It gives me a sense of purpose. 

Finally, I want you to give three tips to a new blogger?

I’ll keep it simple. 

Be curious. Be patient. Be bold.

The post Chris Mitchell talks about anxiety appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

This post is deeply personal and painful. It’s about loss, memory, guilt, and ultimately—healing. It’s about a friend I lost too soon, a time in my life when the world was full of possibilities, and how a single phone call decades later helped release me from years of unanswered questions and silent torment.

Suicide is not just an ending—it leaves ripples that never quite settle. As Phil Donahue once said, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” But for those left behind, the problem becomes permanent too.

This is not a lecture. It’s a journey. A story of friendship, regret, rediscovery, and letting go. It’s for anyone who’s ever wondered “what if,” or carried the weight of a loss they couldn’t explain. It’s for those who feel alone in their struggles—and a reminder that healing often begins when we face the demons we’ve spent years trying to avoid.

You’ll seldom experience regret for anything that you’ve done. It is what you haven’t done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments. Using them up in any self-defeating ways means you’ve lost them forever – Wayne Dyer

There is often in people to whom ‘the worst’ has happened almost transcendent freedom, for they have faced ‘the worst’ and survived it -Carol Pearson

Skeletons in the closet

We all have skeletons in the closet. Those things we hide from everyone. We do not want anyone to know about it. It is in the attic. The best locks protect it.

Disappointments

Disappointments have a major effect on us. The tall, dark, handsome husband walked out on you. The model, who was so lithe and lissome left you for another man. The high school quarterback who was so romantic, now after two decades of marriage is a fat slob. The career is going nowhere. The business deal fell through. Married but cannot have kids. The list goes on.

Have you ever had a demon? A chimera so huge that even an army could not slay.

I was living the dream life. I was barely a teenager and in my first-year university in Switzerland. I had finished my stage (co-op placement, internship) at Hotel De la Paix in Geneva and with all the tips, I was loaded.

I always wanted to backpack Europe.

I had three free weeks before the second year and I flew first class to London.

I registered at the youth hostel and hit the London Tube. On my very first day after the second stop, I get a tap on the shoulder. I look back and it is S. Sidha. ‘Hey Jerry, do you remember me, from BCS’.

You see in boarding school I remembered juniors by three criteria:

Those that had cute sister’s at Auckland, Convent of Jesus and Mary, St Bede’s or somewhere else

Those that were foreigners like me at school

The Christians as there were only 5 of us

Sidha with his crispy English accent came under the second category.

‘Of course dude, I remember.’

After a small chat, he told me that my best friend Ajoy Hakim had committed suicide.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Hold on a second.

I met Ajoy in grade 11. Why did we become such good friends? Maybe we were outsiders. He was the teacher’s son. It could be we were both “Christians”. Perhaps we loved books, art, and the theatre.  Maybe I looked at him through different lenses. There were many times, I would question my own presence at BCS.

I remember us going up the mountains. We would light up a Dunhill. We talked about Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. We were idealists. We would be graduating soon. We were on the cusp of greatness. Freedom at last.

After doing our grade 12 exams, we backpacked India for a month. Nothing prepares you for the Taj Mahal. You study about it. It is deep in your psyche. You transcend into another world. I was only 17 then.

We went to Lucknow. His aunt was the principal of a boarding school. Did I mention a girl’s boarding school?  It was my first exposure to real Mughlai cuisine.

After our short sojourn, it was time to say goodbye. We knew it would be a while before we would see each other. Both of us knew that we would be fighting the establishment that believes in becoming doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Little did I know, that it would be the last time I would see Ajoy.

Early in life, we follow it mapped out by ego, a path of ambition, competition, striving, and achievement. At mid-life, we question the direction we are heading. We yearn to find our true calling. And you have to be willing to meet the demon.

The very thought of going back to visit school brought a shudder up my spine. Did I really want to deal with seeing all the places? Was it worth the trip?

We were the first batch of grade 12. However, we were orphans. No trace of us existed.

I was the president of the Old Cottonian Association in Canada. I did not want to return to school.

As we entered the Facebook world it all changed. I spoke to Arun Sawhney and got the ball rolling. He told me he never went back to school for ten years. He was escaping. Nevertheless, in life, you have to face your demons. You have to be that David and cut the head of Goliath. Look at the positive and focus on that.

Asheesh Santram’s email was the deal maker. He talked about renewing our bonds.

I called him.  He was Ajoy’s cousin. He gave me the breakdown of what had happened. I felt like he was the psychotherapist. One by one, he was breaking down the tendons and letting the blood flow. The blood brings rich nutrients that result in healing. I am not sure why I waited that long to make the call. He provided me with Anup Hakim’s cell number.

Anup was Ajoy’s older brother. He was teaching at school. I called him. This was the catharsis. Anup did not recognize me at first. However, he got it. He called me the boy who was always with Ajoy. We talked about how he had directed both the plays for Lefroy House.

We laughed about many issues. I finally asked him about his parents. He explained to me the whole story. He was not sure whether to take his parents’ accident a positive or negative. Would he have abandoned them when they became old and fragile?

I finally asked him about Ajoy. I told him this issue had bogged me for a quarter of a century. I was trying to track him down all along. It was refreshing to talk to Anup. He was the surgeon who had taken the thorn from my flesh.

I finally let it go. I was free from the bondage of guilt. I had felt like Hercules carrying this weight. It felt light.

Only ten of us graduated from grade 12. After seven years, three had died. In my grade 11 picture, I am standing between the other three.

I have stopped asking why. I deal with what now.

In life, we go through experiences to keep us humble. Hubris is a cousin of success.

The oven bakes you to add flavor. To become a butterfly the larvae have to break through the cocoon. We have to go through storms. It helps us appreciate things better.

I was looking at BCS through myopic eyes. One cannot let one incident mar your view. I cannot paint the whole canvas with one stroke. I was looking at the glass half empty.

I forgot to mention that I met one of my closest friends Ash Virk. Anup Bhalaik was one of the nicest persons I have ever come across.

Life is an art as much as a science. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Sometimes in our youth, the cabal judges us by that sprint.

BCS was an experience that embedded our names and lives into history. We are concatenated. I look forward to the renewing of bonds and reawaken the good that came from school.

The post How to Deal With a Friends Suicide appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.