Disaster strikes. And it can come from anywhere.
Sometimes it’s a small thing — a leaking roof, a dent in your car, a broken window, a cracked tooth.
Sometimes it’s something bigger, and you find yourself in a kind of shock. Everything slows down. You feel a twist in your stomach, or an ache in your shoulder. Your body knows something is wrong before your mind has even caught up.
Everyone handles sudden calamities in their own way. Some cry. Some freeze. Some go into action mode straight away. But most of us need a little time — time to settle our nerves and figure out what just happened.
One of the hardest things in those moments is the feeling of being overwhelmed. We start to believe we’re not up to the challenge. That we’re too tired, too stretched, too vulnerable.
That’s when it helps to pause. Just for a moment. To take stock.
How big is the damage? What’s the real loss? Can it be fixed — and if so, how?
And then there’s money. It always seems to come down to money. These days, everything costs more. That panel beater job you paid R2,000 for a few years ago might cost you R4,000 today. Every repair, every crisis, every emergency — it hits your wallet, and it hits hard. Especially if you’d already budgeted for something else.
That’s the double whammy, isn’t it? Not just the problem itself, but the ripple effect it causes.
But here’s the thing: no matter how overwhelmed you feel, the only way forward is through action.
Even small action helps. Make the call. Get the quote. See the dentist. Book the contractor. Write it down. Make a plan. Tick the first box.
What helps, too, is memory. You’ve survived chaos before. Remember when your house was ransacked? When your car was stolen? When the roof beams cracked and the whole structure had to be redone?
Back then, those things felt like the end of the world. But they passed. You dealt with them. You paid for them. They’re part of your story now — not your future.
This latest challenge will also fade into the past. One day, it’ll just be something you vaguely remember.
And hopefully, there’ll be a stretch of calm ahead — a season of peace.
But life being what it is, surprises are always waiting just around the corner. That’s not meant to scare you — only to remind you that you’ve done it before. You can do it again.
