Saturday, June 21, 2014

Choose Wisely

Initially I titled this blog "wind beneath my wings".  I know it sounds like another terrible cliche, but perhaps they exist for a reason.  Maybe we all experience them at some point in our lives and as a such can easily relate.  Let me elaborate...

Two years have passed since my arrival in Zurich.  I have experienced so much, good and bad - and now I must watch someone close to me face the biggest challenge of his life.  I will not speak about the challenge my friend faces as that is his story to share - not mine. Selfishly I must admit I was thrown off.  I was angry at the injustice of life.  I floated between acceptance and denial - the pendulum swinging to extremes.  In my life, I have learned that one must be prepared to battle if necessary.  But this time the enemy was not mine and I had to accept that this was not a battle I could fight. As I struggled to deal with my helplessness I was in fact even comforted by my friend and his strength.

I cannot believe how incredibly blessed I am with my family.  Always there, I have felt the warmth of unconditional love and support no matter what the hurdle.  Even my son encourages, inspires and supports me to the point that in moments I sometimes wonder who is actually the parent.  But now let me get back to my two years here in Zurich.  I have another family.  My Zurich family.  An eclectic blend of nationalities and backgrounds, they have become incredibly special to me.  This week as I struggled with the fragile veil of composure they were there.  Instantly.  In essence they were indeed the wind beneath my wings this week.

The gratitude I feel for these people is enormous.  As lucky as I am to have such an amazing family back home, I am also extraordinarily fortunate to have this adopted Zurich one as well.

In all my written ramblings over the years, I have refrained from offering any type of advice or specific insight - but today that is different.  I say choose wisely.  Someday, sometime we will unfortunately all face a challenge, so choose carefully the people you let close to you.  Let the ones go who are unworthy.  Decide what type of friend you want to be.  Enjoy the moments, the days, the laughter.  Choose the type of life you want.  I have an amazing one, simply because of the company I choose to keep.