We all suffer disappointment, fear, pain, and loss. It is part of what it means to be human. How we respond to these trials can reveal our purpose in life. Can we be with the grief as our lives slowly reinflate? Can we refocus the intensity of our grief and use the love we have to benefit others?

Ten years ago I met a woman, who I will refer to as Yvette, in a café in Nairobi. She introduced herself by telling me about her role as an early childhood education adviser for a charity working in underserved communities.