Y Ddraig Goch

Sept 30 - Hard Life

Prompt: "When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?' " Sydney J. Harris. In what ways and under which conditions do you think life can be hard?

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I think Sydney J Harris should mind his own business. It really isn’t for him or anyone else to comment if someone else is experiencing a tough time or thinks that life is tough.

Yes, perspective is always a good thing, but life can be hard or difficult in a multitude of ways that might not be obvious to an outside observer; physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically – I’m sure there are many more “allys” that could be added to this list.

I know he was from a different generation – he died in the 80’s – the amount of turmoil he witnessed and experienced during his life – two world wars, the cold war and the Cuban missile crisis, the civil right movements, the Great Depression, the Nuremberg trials, Sputnik, Vietnam, possibly even Chernobyl. As a journalist, I have no doubt that he heard many harrowing stories, as well as many inspiring ones. And mental health wasn’t really a consideration. Let’s be honest, if it wasn’t physical it didn’t come up on most peoples radars. But today is different. Today we know better.

I have no doubt that there are many others that are having a relatively tougher time in comparison to me at any given time; I’m not starving, I’m not in an abusive relationship, nor do I worry for my safety, I am not worried about medical care or what will happen if I become ill, I have friends and family who love me and are there for me. But, none of that takes away the fact that there are times where life is hard.

When I lost my dad – I still had a house, a job, a husband, friends, family – but none of that made it any less tough to function even remotely as I normally would. When we emigrated and had to rebuild a life in another country (even though it was our choice) it was hard; hard work, tiring, and sometime lonely.

To dismiss or diminish someone else’s hard times is cruel at best and dangerous at worst.