And start something new.

I was at speech day in my old school on Friday, watching my son and his classmates getting ready to leave school and embark on their next adventure. As I sat remembering my last year at school and all the hopes I had, I tried to stay at peace with the life I lost and the one I have. A very difficult struggle. But at the end I turned around and saw an old teacher I knew from years ago. He has had some hard knocks and for the first time, I was able to connect with him. I remembered that, beyond academic, sporting or professional achievements there is one thing that stands above them all, and it is human connection. To be able to look someone in the eye and communicate your care for them is an eternal gift.

Of course I wish I had multiple jobs and relatable successes under my belt, but I will always have love. When I look back over the last few years of bad health I see hundreds of human faces I have spent time with. Surely that is what matters most.

Are you struggling with regret, a feeling of underachievement, or perhaps you wish you could leave behind all the pressures and expectations weighing you down? In either case, nothing will be enough for you without love. As they read at weddings, in 1 Corinthians 13, ‘If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.’ and if you have too many or too few achievements, without love they will mean very little. I think this is a lesson I need to learn every day. How about you?