To ask what experiences have truly moved you?

[Pachyderm1]

Apart from the obvious things (weddings & births of kids, meeting nephews and nieces etc.), what experiences have you had that have truly moved you?

I’ll start with two of mine:

1. Humpback whale watching. We were lucky enough to see them very close, and (to my mortification) the sight of them made me cry. I think I just wasn’t at all prepared for the sheer size of them, and how beautiful they were.

1. Listening to the final episode of the second series of the podcast ‘slow burn’ - hearing those women talk about the abuse they had experienced at the hands of Bill Clinton, and the fact that they had never received justice, made it almost unbearable to listen to. It haunted me for a long time.

Seeing this painting in real life. Love Edvard Munch and something about this just blew me away.

Working on the Reception Desk at a Hospice. The strength people have is truly amazing.

Seeing Children's Memorial in Yad Vashem Israel, when I was 16. It commemorates all the Jewish children who died in the Holocaust - you walk into a dark tunnel and it's filled with little candle lights and mirrors to thousands are reflected everywhere, and a recording of the names of all the child victims that are known of, it's utterly heartbreaking.

SEN worker - seeing a young child perform in an assembly and love every second.

Juror - hearing about female violence. A husband / father had had his pleas ignored until his wife killed herself and their child.

Graduating - it came late in life. Distance learning. Self-study. I got my grade in the middle of the morning when DH was on a rare business trip. I probably place too much on a degree but I cried for hours. A first!

Seeing orca in the wild, ditto humpbacks.

My son's graduation, I nearly combusted with pride.

Being with my mum while she died. I know it sounds morbid but it was a privilege to sit with the woman who was such an amazing mother and role model in her final days. She left the world surrounded by people who loved her and whilst it was hugely upsetting it was also very beautiful and moving.

Thank you for sharing, it’s amazing the range of experiences. Athena I’m sorry for your loss but glad the experience was like that ❤️