Rising From The Ashes

A New Beginning

What has happened in the past, is the past. What will happen in the future can only be determined by the actions taken in the present. The present moment is where it all begins.

Let’s take a moment to look at this in more detail. Simple words on a page written by me, an individual whose past has had a profound impact on how I view life.

I do not want to go into detail but, suffice to say, life as I knew it came to a catastrophic end and my family and I were lucky to survive when so many innocent people didn’t. 

After such a catastrophic event I was left to pick up whatever pieces I could of my “self” and begin the seemingly impossible task of putting myself back together. This is an ongoing process and a delicate one at that.

Beginning the Reconstruction

In the days and weeks following the events of October 7th 2023, life consisted of simply existing. It was a challenge to simply be, eat, shower, sleep and exist in any way that you would consider normal. Life was not normal. 

Within the space of 24 hours we had our life erased and had become refugees with only the clothes (pajamas) we were wearing. We were evacuated to a hotel where we lived as best we could in the situation we had been forced into.

We were well looked after and I am grateful for all the support we received from therapy to the tsunami of donations that flooded in. However, there came a time, once the dust had begun to settle, that I must begin to reconstruct and rebuild myself from within. Who was I rebuilding? The same “me” that was or a new and improved version?

Rediscovering “me”

Life pre-October 7th 2023 was as settled and as comfortable as I had ever dreamed. I was a 52 year old living my best life. I was in full-time employment, I had numerous hobbies including being a musician and a photographer. My wife and I lived a beautiful existence. Our children had left home and we felt blessed to have such a life. We took very little for granted and had learned to enjoy life to the full.

The aftermath of October 7th 2023 was a traumatic and turbulent time. I was lost in a fog of uncertainty, adrift in an endless ocean with no land in sight. Never had I been so broken and so lost. Slowly however, as time began to work its healing magic, I began gradually to come onto focus..I began to see myself more clearly as the days went by. 

I began the process of reconnecting with the essence of what made me “me”. It wasn’t long before I was given a guitar. I had always had a guitar at hand for as long as I can remember. Music has always played an integral part of my life and this was made clear to me when I no longer had an instrument to play. The guitar brought me great comfort and reminded me of who I am.