May You Live in Interesting Times

I remember being very intrigued as a child when my father told me of the Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times”.

He explained that in the turbulent years of war-mongering and attacks from the Huns, Chinese people spent their lives in fear and obviously preferred the odd occasions when nothing much was happening!

Upon researching the origin of the saying, the general conscious is that there is no Chinese saying and it is likely a western phrase coined in recent times.

Anyway, the point is that since I last blogged, I have been living in interesting times.

For the past couple of years my younger sister has been battling against breast cancer, which progressed to secondary breast cancer. In September I’d just started a workplace coaching course which I wanted to complete before Easter, when I was due to start a Level 1 Triathlon Coaching course. After being confined to a wheelchair in September, my sister was rushed into hospital a few days before Christmas. I’d been visiting her more often since September, and things got more serious as we got further into January. My sister’s moments of lucidity became less and less frequent and shortly after ‘celebrating’ her 40th birthday, she died.

I was devastated, her husband and two young daughters were too. Everyone who knew her felt a great loss, as she was a very kind and giving person. I struggled with a stressful time at work and let the coursework slip, until I felt able to pick it up again.

In June I competed in the Outlaw Half, my first long course triathlon. I did ok. I kept a little in reserve during the race, to cope with the run and finished comfortably… if not completely spent! The final bits of coaching coursework were finished soon after and as I write this I feel that the realisation of my goals for the year kept me from sinking too deep into my sadness.

I really felt for the sake of moving on with this blog, I needed to explain my absence. I’ve got a few new projects relating to triathlon and cycling which I hope to share soon.

The photo above is from a photoshoot my sister took part in for a cancer charity.