How to love: a guide to understanding life

In Spanish we say: "Lo único seguro en la vida es la muerte", the only certainty in life is death.  As we age, we hopefully become wiser. We gain wisdom as we overcome the challenges of ageing. An older body is a challenge in itself. We might get heavier, develop food intolerances, chronic conditions, need surgery and then there's the image in the mirror and in the photos. "Is that really me?", "I look tired".  Any body above 45 has been working for over forty five years. Just let that sink for a moment. Your heart has been beating, non-stop, for all that time. Your bones and joints hold the weight of your muscles, other organs and the extra fat you might have accumulated around your waist. It is difficult to appreciate how fortunate we are to be able to live: to move, to sense, to smile... So many friends have left too soon. Those who have gone before us have reminded us of our own mortality. It makes us accept that that will be the end of life as we ...

As we approach the end of the pandemic (hopefully), it seems fit to ponder for a minute or two, what a difficult year we've been through. Travelling restrictions, closed family businesses, online lessons, homeschooling, zoom meetings for work, and the losses of loved ones for many, the fear of infection for those who were more vulnerable, like those living with chronic conditions. These are just some of the difficulties we were faced with since March 2020.  Covid-19 has affected people from all age groups. Preschoolers couldn't run and play freely with their peers, nor could they be helped to wear their coat before leaving the school. Others had to stay at home under unprecedented conditions of parents having to follow work commitments from a home that was not necessarily adapted for several people working and being taught online.   There was extra pressure on everyone. Life changed for schoolers and for young adults who struggled to find work experience opportunities in ...