Thank you for your support, from Liz

My dear friends,

I am writing to you with my deepest thanks for the emotional support you gave me a few weeks ago. I know my thank you is late, but recovery has been up and down. At least now, I can say that I am definitely improving.

Your incredible support truly overwhelmed me. When I messaged you, I hoped some of you might write in to help me, but I didn’t expect so many of you. It was amazing to experience such a response at time when I felt so broken and very alone. 

I was deeply affected by your sentiments, your insight, your advice, the experiences some of you shared, and by hearing about your lives. Many of you wrote very touching messages that brought tears to my eyes. Some of you wrote profound words of wisdom – I’ve put some of those messages at the bottom of this page for everyone to read. Some of you shared how your lives have changed and improved since conquering IELTS – that really warmed my heart. Also, I know some of you were struggling yourselves with pain, loss and grief. I do very much hope this message finds you in a better place emotionally and on the path to healing.

And there were some of you who wrote humorous messages that actually had me laughing out loud on one of my worst days. I’d like to thank Zeeshan for his fantastic “Legend of a Kidney Stone” – if you have a subscription, I’ll sign up! You nailed my humour! And Enrique who wrote about how as a teacher, he had once told a student that “sleeping on it” was a great way to solve a problem. The student had then asked if they should put the test under their pillow. Brilliant!

You all helped me so much. Not only by the content of your messages, but also by the time and effort you took to reply. It felt like so many wonderful hugs coming into my life. Thank you. I wish I had the words to describe how impactful that was, particularly for someone like me who has lived alone so long.

Yes, you all helped me get my vision back. I now see the impact my work has and I can’t wait to carry on. But I will take a bit more rest before I start, just to give my body what it needs. And yes, my fire inside is starting to grow again. It feels good to see my way forward.

For anyone else who is struggling in life, I will say – reach out for support. It makes a huge difference. Even the strongest people need support from others, it is completely natural. But remember that when you do reach out, it will be at a vulnerable time in your life, so please reach out wisely and safely to people you know you can trust. I knew I was safe with all of you. I was right. Thank you!

Sharing Your Words of Wisdom

1. Pain may knock you down, but spirit picks you back up. (Zeeshan)
2. Strength is inspiring in itself. (Emmanuel)
3. Fighters fall. But fighters rise. Every time. (Miriam)
4. Fighters do survive, but they don’t have to fight alone. (Aylin)
5. Stand in front of the battle of life bravely with a smile. (Od)
6. You are stronger than you feel right now. (Amr)
7. The human body may be fragile, but the human spirit is absurdly tough. (Zeeshan)
8. To start running fast, sometimes we need to take a step back to gain momentum. (Minh Tuan)
9. Strengthen your inner voice and let it speak with positivity, resilience and hope. (Ahmed)
10. Even the strongest souls need time to breathe. (Obaydur)
11. Take things moment by moment. Even the tiniest spark is still fire – and yours is still burning. (Aylin)
12. Stay the course. You matter. (Mena)
13. Life is a journey with no guidelines. Live it freely. (Lin)
14. People deserve to improve the quality of their lives. (Palomino)
15. Life gives us moments when we need to redefine our paths. (Fiza)
16. We are so fortunate just to be alive. (Ekta)

     *  You are all my inspiration. *