The gathering of the clans is behind me and the scattering of same is almost complete. The sun comes up whether we feel ready for it…or not. Life goes on with or without our loved ones. This morning was the first day of winter here “down under”. The slight chill in the air matched my Monday morning mood.

There’s not a lot any one of us can do except get out of bed and put one foot in front of another until the day is done. I don’t know about you but although I’ve lost maybe more than my share of loved ones, I’ve never had the misfortune of losing as many within such a short period as my character Mary in “Torn” and those like her in Ireland in the 1800s.

Losses coming one after another for an extended period can beat one down emotionally. Surviving when others  around you fall victim can also lead to feelings of guilt for having survived or Survivor’s Guilt. Reason and logic might have little to do with such feelings but they are no less painful for it.

Though it may not have been recognised until relatively modern times, that doesn’t mean people before its discovery did not suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Becoming a Thriver under such circumstances can be a nearly impossible task. It takes a special kind of person to live on and prosper without the help available today. How do you think you would go?