Let’s salute the courage to fight on...

DO YOU feel buffeted and baffled by events? As we reach July I find myself struggling — and I bet many of you feel the same.

The summer is off, then ‘on’. Lockdown is ended — but then brought back in some places, because of spikes in Covid-19. Oh, joy.

The Prime Minister promises massive spending — but economic prospects are dire and human misery will be unavoidable. The weather was blazing hot — but now (as I write this) grey, cold and rainy.

Meanwhile, the racism debate has ignited, statues are torn down, and the stupidity transforms me (sometimes) from a tolerant, loving person into a homicidal maniac.

When I watch the news I want to put my head in a hole, because I’m so tired of incomprehensible graphs and models comparing death rates like some sort of Olympics. It’s all thoroughly depressing.

But I’m not supposed to be gloomy, am I? Even though I have a family problem for which I (someone who is a problemsolver) can’t see a solution, I have to play keepy-uppy with my own feelings. So here goes.

Last week’s main letter from ‘Mavis’ (tormented by her bullying husband) brought a deluge of emails, all encouraging her to leave him.

And while each one told its own sad story, the courage of each person and the fellowfeeling for poor Mavis was stupendous. Thank you all for those thoughts, which I’ve passed on.

Then there were warm, touching responses to my article about pet bereavement, and other emails telling happy stories of reunions.

We, too, experienced that with a wonderful (sociallydistanced) family barbecue for my husband’s birthday.

The word ‘heart-warming’ really means something — when I reflect on goodness, family love and the sheer courage which enables people to get over their ‘down’ moments and get on with life. Thank you for all the evidence.