It has been a while since my last blog post my friends. I can say it is good to be back, writer’s block is a demon I have struggled to beat in the last few months, especially with the looming halo of ambition hovering over my head. Few nights ago I lost someone very dear to me and my family, my grandfather, and the head of our family. He was a wise old soul, a toughened man, a seasoned veteran of life and its obstacles who spent his whole life on the straight path.

My grandfather was dedicated to the pursuit of raising a large, beautiful family. And when majority of his kids travelled abroad in search of success and a better life for their kin, he stood tall among a mountain of books, taking every day as it comes, learning, working, and becoming wiser. Even when faced with severe illness and suffering, his pride and resilience meant he never complained or even showed a glimpse of surrendering.

Life is unpredictable, and loss is an essential component of the human experience. The pain of loss is a teacher for all, it builds resilience, it teaches wisdom, it creates in you a genuine respect for memories and elaborates the importance of family and future experiences you’ve yet to be involved in. There is no safety from pain, you will experience loss, in every stage and every facet of your journey. You cannot eliminate the pain of losing a loved one, I am feeling it now, I have felt it before, and I will feel it again.

All you can do is celebrate the life that your loved ones lived. I remember vividly the many months I spent with my grandfather, scattered over the years through different visits to my home country of Lebanon. Walking with my grandfather to the mosque, sitting with him enjoying a cup of tea, listening to his stories on the history of Lebanon and religion. He was a unique man; they do not make them like that generation anymore. It hurts to know I will never see him again, but I hold these memories close to my heart, and I know that he is in a better place. We think we can prepare for moments of when someone close to our heart is gone, but you can never be truly prepared for the real pain of a loss. But that pain in of itself holds the proof of the love that was there, and when you have love for someone, especially a close family member, you must accept that the love will bring about pain eventually. And that is the bitter truth of life’s cruel contrast.

Theres a lot I owe to explain to my fellow readers and myself of my disappearance from social media and the hiatus of my writing and videos. I will leave that for another time, I will dive deep into it and maybe you can learn a thing or two from me and the lessons I have learned these past few months. Humans are very complex, and I am no more than a man, but I am a student of life and a big believer that there is something to learn from everyone.

Until next time. All the best.

H