Our heroes live on: by Chris Korako – Inspire Me Women
At a recent Inspire Me Women breakfast – a fun morning of eggs Benedict, laughter and great discussion – we put a question to the group:
Who is your hero?
Heroes varied yet the theme remained – people who impacted our lives with unconditional love, who left their fingerprint on our soul, or who showed great leadership and compassion for people and the natural environment.
One thing that resonated with me was the raw emotion of heroes lost. No matter how long ago that loss took place, grief can tiptoe into the room and take us unaware, and stay for lunch. It takes courage to sit with sorrow when it creeps up unexpectedly. I was humbled to share watering eyes with women reclaiming the richness of what was lost.
Loss visits all of us at some time and it leaves an ache that’s hard to shake off. It’s painful and it’s proof of something meaningful; we can only mourn what truly mattered. Grief is not a weakness but a quiet honouring of who or what once filled us with love, purpose, or belonging. The deeper the love, the deeper the grief and therein lies the gift.
So I think it’s not only ok, but absolutely essential, to say ‘I love you’ more often, open our arms wide to those who need it, live with more intention and let ourselves and others talk about the moments that mattered through tears or laughter.
So you may be thinking… wow that’s a heavy start to the day, talking about loss. Let me tell you though, that I left that roundtable breakfast walking taller, with more purpose, and I swear I could feel my beautiful mother who I lost in my 30s walking right beside me smiling. She told me I’m doing just fine.
