This past week was turbulent to say the least. I lost a very dear friend and mentor, someone who had supported me, listened to me and really heard me. He was also my doctor. In fact, if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be writing at all. I suffered from so much chronic back pain that I couldn’t type and could barely hold a pen for nearly two years.

I would therefore like to dedicate this post to Dr. Ben Tay who saw me through my darkest days and never gave up on me where many doctors had before. He cared deeply for his patients, going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that I could get back to doing what I love. Writing.

Every time I put pen to paper, I have him to thank and, despite this sudden, discombobulating loss, I know that every story I write will honour his memory.

We are all lucky to have mentors, supporters, and friends who come into our life when we need them most, often quite unexpectedly. I guess this is what might be called “serendipity”––but I believe it’s something more than that. Generally speaking, when life gives you lemons, I say punch those lemons in the face.

But, in this case, I think the best, the only thing we can do when faced with real loss is to go forward. Let the anger and injustice of the situation fuel your determination, and achieve the goals the people who care about you would want you to achieve. You owe it to them and you owe it to yourself.

Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart. And you’ll never walk alone.

This week, I indeed felt like a Thursday’s Child, but I knew I wasn’t alone thanks in part to the loveliness of my CPs and writerly friends––so thank you, thank you. Even when the storm clouds gather, we never have to face it alone.

And now, I’m back to work on my latest WIP, so enjoy a great cover of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by my favourite singer from the Old Country! See you next week!