Monday 14 May 2012

Fear

I received a letter from one of my mother's friends recently and in it she wrote of her regret at not seeing my mother for such a long time.

My mother's friend lives in another country.  The country my mother grew up in and left.  They were best of friends growing up and stayed in touch by writing.  The last time they saw each was twenty-six years ago when we were there on a family holiday.

It's not that they couldn't have seen each other again during those twenty-six years.  They both had opportunities to visit one another.  But my mother wanted her friend to come here.  And her friend wanted my mother to go there.  And neither would budge.  Not because they were stubborn, but because they were both afraid.  Afraid of taking a journey on their own.  And now it's too late.

Fear is a powerful emotion that can prevent us from doing what we want to do and stop us in our tracks.  But when you look back will you be glad your fear stopped you or regret not taking the journeys you were too afraid to take.