For me there are a few things that come to mind. Some of these clouds had a silver lining in various ways.
I lived in a building that had a major fire (due to a tenant’s stupidity) and although only the top floor of the building, the entire building became inhabitable due to water damage from the fire fighting. I ended up at my parents’ house for a few months and then got a new apartment but dealing with all my stuff and tenants’ meetings and dealing with living with my parents again was rough.
I was in a terrible car accident and had major fractures to my anikle and tore ligaments in my foot. That resulted in a year of physical therapy and surgery. It taught me a lesson about what chronic pain does to people. I still experience pain to this day, although not as bad as at first.
When my daughter was one year old, I was in the hospital for almost a month with Guillain Barre Syndrome. I couldn’t walk at all, and received medical help and intensive inpatient physical therapy. I was very lucky my mom was alive and well and took care of my daughter.
My mom had breast cancer which metastasized and she died about five years ago. That was very traumatic to have to deal with, as a family member, and to watch her decline. I couldn’t imagine my life without my mother but we all go on.
I feel like life takes us on a meandering path, some things are planned, some are unplanned, some are good, some are bad, but we try to learn from everything and we just have to deal with it and go on.