I’m The Same Age My Father Was When He Died Too Soon

And while that was my first seismic change to have to deal with, it wasn't my last. Since then I've coped with death, divorce, starting from scratch with nothing twice, hijacked at gunpoint, loss, disappointment, betrayal, financial hardship, a home invasion by armed robbers, being dumped and being mugged to name a few.

And yes, in between, I've also been blessed with dearest family, second chances, rebuilding what was lost and stolen, a sound mind, precious friends, deep joys, travel to awesome places, purposeful work, health, love, a settled faith, achievement, acclaim and success.

And while these wonderful moments and seasons give my life substance and meaning, it was in the hard times that I most ably filled my kitbag with coping tools. In them I learned to rely on help from others to bounce back. And in them is when I became practised in facing brutal facts, feeling the fear, handling hard truth and learning to step back up again in spite of.

So when people have said to me things like "I admire what you've achieved" or "how did you cope", I've honestly had to largely credit circumstances I didn't want or heartily resented. I can see now how hardship and failure have been material in the making of me. How they've forged my abilities in dealing with and refined my mindset on challenge and difficulty so that I now more easily default to practiced getting back up.

And my path doesn't have me in a hospital bed at 58 like my dad was. I can still entertain plans for tomorrow and next year even though neither are here yet. And the past in all it's glorious and terrible technicolour? Well, it's now past. That leaves the present - aptly called I think - because having it is not a given, it's a gift.