The one about two

Two more weeks until the end of 2020. During this year of chaos, I came to a realization about myself. Isn’t it funny how stress can reveal the true nature of who we really are?

When things are fine, everything can look like sunshine and roses. But when things are stressful, that’s when our true nature comes out.

I’m captivated by the story of my father who left Vietnam along with his mother and siblings during the war.

As an aspiring 18-year-old, he left his entire life behind to join one of many refugee boats leaving Vietnam for a new life — however, many would die along the way due to famine, disease or even pirates.

My dad, as a bright young man, had the intellect and instinct to help navigate the boat out of Vietnam towards Hong Kong. This was a life-defining moment as it ensured that my dad (and indirectly my grandmother and my aunts) would be the first to get food while many others would not survive the journey.

I too felt a bit lost at sea this year.

But I thought of my dad’s story and imagined how much stress he must have endured during that time — the sudden loss of your lifestyle, a life and death journey on a boat trying to find a way to keep your siblings alive.

Look, don’t get me wrong — COVID has been a nightmare and continues to be a nightmare for those who have lost a loved one.

But there is strength in stories — stories that we tell ourselves, stories that we hear about our parents, stories that get passed down from generation to generation.

When chaos breaks out, do you freeze up and give up? Or do you double-down on your strengths, figure out what is controllable and take action?

I prefer to go with the latter option.

We have two weeks to go until the end of 2020. How do you want to end this year?