Onward, Forward!

"I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you've done." - Robert Downey, Jr 

Mijn liefste P, in front of Gamma, right after we got what we needed to clear our  flat

When people ask me why I ran not only one but two marathons in 2012, my usual answer is because I wanted to know if I can.  For those who have more time to listen, I add, I needed a goal to focus on while I work on another.

While I trained for my marathons, I was constantly busy in my head working out how I can go back to work, and still be a supportive partner to P and a good mom to our girls.  The positive rewards of training made it easier for me to handle the stress my mind was going through.

Beginning a new life, in yet another foreign land can be overwhelming.  Beginning a new life and being responsible for the young lives of three young girls could be terrifying, if you focus too much on what could go wrong.

When you live one day at a time, and make the best of each day, you indeed have more deeper appreciation of how rich life is, and experience a deeper connection to your family, friends and people in your community.

Continuous, conscious living in the moment makes you stronger for crisis* that eventually comes your way.

*We were evacuated from our home the last day of 2012 because of a fire that broke out above our flat. 

Today, two days later, we were allowed to go back, and check the damages to our properties. 
A few hours later we found out that we can move into a new home, and do not have to go back to our apartment complex. This was made possible through the help of many generous people!

More about this in the next days.