Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 1 degree, very cold, grey, shitty and possible rain.
It’s nearly the end of the month. Looking back a year, I was living in Copacabana, beginning to prepare for the move to Nalva’s in Botafogo.
I was living quite comfortably in a small one-bedroom flat with a partial view of Copacabana Beach. The flat and the building were perfect. Sometimes in Rio, the flat is perfect, but the building isn’t, and vice versa.
However, there, everything was perfect, even the streets, just one block from the beach, with trees lining both sides. Despite the flaws of Copacabana, I was living very well.
But the flat wasn’t mine; it was rented. I had to leave, and I was broke. Paying two rents, both mine and Nalva’s, always strained me financially. I’ve always found a way to survive, to make ends meet, to get by, and to pay everything, but sometimes it’s just a juggling act, and Brazil is the circus.
For many years, I had to pay three rents, but since the end of the pandemic, I paid two until May last year, and after May, only one. For most people, even one can be a burden, so imagine having three or even two. I don’t regret it, and I’m not a victim, but now that I’m only paying one, the difference in my finances is enormous.
The world and its possibilities have opened up. I have been able to pay all my debts, primarily because of the school, which has allowed me to save money, which is very important. Being financially free to pursue opportunities in life, rather than just scraping by to survive, is truly liberating.
Small financial acorns can grow into large, strong, and mighty oak trees that enable your life to reach new heights like the branches and remain stable, firm, and solid like its roots.
My life has been on a roll since I moved to Copacabana and began changing it through exercise, study, and reading. The second phase involved living with Nalva and Yasmin, which helped me both financially and spiritually. It was not all smooth sailing with the three of us sharing a small flat, all with strong personalities, two of them almost explosive.
My third stage has been coming to England, and it has also been a revelation in my life, both financially and spiritually, once again, and I can only be grateful.
Until now, I have managed to make peace with my mother, which was extremely difficult in the past. I believe, or rather I am certain, that my mother lacks empathy, which, perhaps by fate, has led her to live alone for so long towards the end of her life. I did not know what to expect when coming to England, especially considering my last visit, which was very traumatic towards the end of my stay.
Therefore, making peace with our elders and parents is another way of finding inner peace, ultimately allowing us and our lives to be more complete and to progress in all areas with harmony; anything and everything is possible.
The fiasco of visiting my brother revealed to me what our real relationship was. I have always respected him, and in some ways, admired him. I know that whenever an opportunity arises, he would try to put me down or belittle me, usually behind my back, because I have been in Brazil for so long.
At least it is clear to me that he has made his choices, and I respect him for that. We have never really been very close, and that’s not going to change now. However, what happened when I went there makes everything clearer and confirms everything that I had suspected.
Financially, I received a small sum from my late uncle Mick. It has been more than enough to get my house and finances in order. Now, I need to buy some things for my next stage and for when I return to Brazil to give a little to Jessica, Yasmin, Nalva, and Cibele.
Jessica, because I know my daughter well, she’s probably trying to save as much money as possible. Yasmin and Nalva are to put down a deposit on a new flat project in the port area of Rio, and Cibele, as she’s the mother of Jessica and a family member.
Everything is going very well. Sometimes I think it’s too good to be true, but I am grateful. I must move on to the next stage, improve, and evolve; I mustn’t stop!
Neither fuck it up!!!
In bed by 11 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
