Sometimes when I’m feeling very low ,I have to give myself a metaphorical slapping -a good talking too, a pep talk ,a come-on girl dig-deep and do something positive,type of talk. Then ,when I’m feeling really really low ,I think of other people ,who have suffered much worse stuff than me .They carry on ,work, play ,and inspire me .They don’t know it , but they are my virtual rocks.
Up until a few weeks ago ,it was Nim Hoy .Nim owns a Thai restaurant in Crystal Palace .Between 2006 and 2008 the five of us plus Grandmama regularly used to eat there . We all got on well , Nim would help Grandma with her coat ,help us choose and then , when we’d eaten ,come and sit and chat . Her story is terrible, on the 26th December 2004,Nim, her husband ,John ,and their three children , Robert,David and Kate , were relaxing on a beach in Thailand when The Tsunami struck .Of the five of them , only Nim survived .
She is truly amazing .I remember her telling me that the hardest time of day for her is the 2 school-run times. She couldn’t bear to see young families all walking to school together .
Then recently I read an interview with Dr Abdul Shakoor, whose wife Sabah, and their five children ,Hira,Sohaib,Muneeb,Rayyan and Maheen, died in a house fire .His pain must be unimaginable. I know it does nothing ,but from deep in my soul, I send them both boundless amounts of love and strength .
Today I got out a the little book Nim gave me . It is full of photos and memories and letters On the back , written in her own innocent ,sprawlimg,messy handwriting is this is poem written by Kate ,in New Zealand , on the 26th December 2003 a year to the day before she died . She was seven
“If tomorrow will never rise Will the light of the moon Shine upon the world
If tomorrow will never riseIn the moon light there, it lays the face above the sky
If tomorrow will never rise Up there you see the moon is shining right at you
If tomorrow will never rise “
I can’t look at that book without cracking up .But there again , it is NOT about me ,it is about them .
You are all very strong and an inspiration to many of us
What a beautiful poem. And, ditto what Anne said x
Yes Sally ,it is so beautiful .When you are over again , remind me to show you Nim’s book .It is so lovely ,happy,sad and moving .kate’s poem is particularly poignant as it is in her handwriting and written on Boxing day ,the previous year ,when they were holidauying in NZ.
I absolutely will – Nim sounds like an extraordinary woman. In the meantime, I’ve copied Kate’s poem for my favourite poems file – I hope you don’t mind.
No ,I think that is wonderful .It sounds silly , but it means a part of her has returned to place she loved – NZ.
not silly at all – i kind of thought that too; unless that means we’re both silly 🙂