In my life, there really haven’t been any truly hard moments. Or at least not like the ones other people may have lived through. We’ve always had a roof to sleep under. There has always been food on our table. We haven’t had tragedies to mourn. In my family, death has only come to the elderly, and only from natural causes. I truly feel blessed and grateful to God and to life.

There have been difficult situations, of course, just like anyone else has had. Moments of illness or financial hardship, of disappointment and sadness, but in none of them have I felt weak. I was raised with stoicism and emotional steadiness in the face of problems, and in the same way my parents raised me, I have raised my children.

We don’t know what life may bring in the future, and worrying about it is a mistake. Thanks to God, in my life and in my family’s life, there is peace. Every morning I give thanks for the day ahead of me.