I was in a conversation with my cousin in her kitchen in Dublin. The topic of conversation was stress, burnouts and balance.

The fine lines between the above said can be very blurry at times. I have gone through severe stress and got myself burnout. When I was much younger I did not know how to cope with stress that well. I would myself out till I crashed. It was a vicious cycle. Now that I’m much older, I am getting much better at it. Actually, there’s still room for improvement too.

The very next morning, I found out a dear friend had passed away at the age of 52. I was shocked and extremely saddened by it. I broke into tears and pulled the covers to continue crying. He was a good guy, he was always smiling. He had a lot of stories to share. He gave me relationship advises. Benchmarks for guys that I should date. He even warned a guy a dated before. We went on holidays together too.

Sadly I was not in town to attend his funeral. I feel he left us too soon. So sudden.

Which relates to the topic of balancing life. I should and must cherish my loved ones more. Spend more time with them. I should not be working around the clock. I need my balance. I deserve my balance. I should not feel guilty for taking time out for myself.

There’s only one of me, I matter.

Inalillah Eadrace Petra, you will be missed.