Happiness for a Friend

On September 11, 2017 Zadar, Croatia was hit with torrential down pour of 280mm (over 11 inches) of rain in just 24-hour time period. Zadar is city that Alfred Hitchcock said has the most beautiful sunset in the world. As one reporter stated, it was “like someone has turned 100 000 Olympic swimming pools over that beautiful ancient city.”

But, I do not want to talk to you about the city. I want to tell of my friend whose happiness was taken away from her.

From a very young age she knew that she was different. She is a survivor. She has survived Croatian war of independence when she was a young child. During those 4 years her family lost many things that are necessary for basic survival, and they feared for their lives and survived on food that was distributed in the city’s local shelters.

After war ended, life did not go back to normal. She went to school, with no enthusiasm, like any other teenager at that time. She worked to support her family’s endeavor to rebuild their lives.

She married her high school sweetheart. There was never doubt in their mind that they will make a life together. That life is filled with struggle after struggle, and difficulty after difficulty. It is filed with short times of employment and long times of unemployment, but my friend is a survivor.

These past five years were the most difficult for her. Her beloved father has quickly past away after he was diagnosed with cancer. She carried on. She did not cry.

Early in her adult life, she gave birth to her daughter. Long time after her, she finally became pregnant again. She lost all 5 souls before third trimester. She did not cry. She tried again. Now, she feels blessed to be as a mother of a 3 years old son and teenaged daughter.

In July, she managed to scrape together enough of money to buy 10 years old car. I still remember her coming to work every day, happily informing us of some new feature she discovered her car has. Or, how happy she was to, for the first time in her life, own a car that does not need to be encouraged to start, whose wipers actually work when it is raining, and that she can open a window without being scared that the door will fall off.

However, I want you to remember that flood in Zadar, Croatia, in September. That rain storm made my friend cry.

She cried. Not because her car was under 6m (over 19 feet) of water, or that her husband is unable to work because his working tools were stolen from the ruined car, but because her soul could not take any more challenges. Downheartedness hit her hard. Too many fights and not enough victories are there to help her through this.

As her friend, I am asking you to help me bring happiness back to her. We are all aware that money does not buy happiness, but it does help along for hope to come. Every dollar, or euro, you donate will be of “supreme value” (O. Vincent Haleck “The widow’s heart”). It will help to bring a little bit of brightness and hope into my friend’s life overloaded with burdens. Just imagine the amount of burden that will be lifted from her shoulders!

Bonnie L. Oscarson asked: “Who needs me today?”. My friend does.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said: “God will use you to make the lives of others better.”

If you cannot donate anything at this time, please share this with your email contacts to spread the word. This donation was meant as a surprise for my friend, a miracle she is not expecting to happen.

Thank you for your donation!

Zveki