sent from: Esher, Surrey, UK. destination: Kentfield, California, USA

In Spanish there are two words, verbs, “ser” and “estar” which both translate as “to be” in English, but they are very different. One (“ser”) is the stuff of being, who you are at the core. The other (“estar”) is about how you are at that moment, happy, sad, hot, cold. In recent weeks, when I’ve described my frustrations to people, about hunting for work, about the various challenges it has presented, many have, with the best of intentions, begun to suggest a list of remedies, of options. And the more I’ve tried to explain, the deeper the frustrations have grown.
I am (“ser”) good; better than good, everything in my life is just brilliant. There are challenges, sure, and figuring out how we will make money is one of them, but we will get there. There are opportunities, decisions, but at the core we are well.
The problem is how I feel about it (“estar”) – the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the occasional dark thoughts. I share these seeking solace, not solutions.
Yesterday I shared my thoughts with an old friend over a beer outside a pub in the cool English springtime sun. Life is good. We are good. We are well.