My former colleague and friend Irena Bradelj lives in the block. I have known Irena for many years; from the time we worked in the same company and were connected by work. Sometimes, if she had five minutes to spare, when we met at work, we would have a coffee together. She has always been very communicative and often contributed to interesting conversations between colleagues. She has also always been a walker and enjoyed walking for miles.
Not everyone was in favour of it. Her honesty and integrity annoyed many, but I appreciated these two virtues very much. Irena retired. We did not often hear each other on the telephone, but when we did, we were very happy. She encouraged me that I would soon see retirement, too, as the days and months passed by in a flash. She asked me several times if I would join her for a walk, but I didn't feel the need until ...
As time went on, my company went bankrupt and I found myself in the job centre. Every day I shed crocodile tears and thought about how to calm the stressful situation I was in. Irena found out about the bankruptcy. She called me, encouraged me, sympathised with me and gave me the courage to overcome the trials that came my way. She said again that I could join her on her daily walks. I accepted the invitation and felt a great relief. It was as if the wind had pulled me in and taken away all my worries for that moment.
Our daily walks were not marathon, but they were long enough to combine the useful with the pleasant. We never ran out of good humour, taking photos, meeting animals in the pastures, exchanging cooking recipes and having fun moments that made us laugh contagiously. How could we not laugh when, as we walked, we wished that every little white paper we saw in the grass was a lottery ticket that would bring us a lucky prize. We chased away the worries of everyday life with our imagination.
I got a lot of useful information from her. She selflessly shared everything that could help me in my job search. To this day, I am eternally grateful to her because she never had any qualms about withholding useful things from me. Her openness and willingness to help with a lot of advice during my unemployment proved to be a great asset. Her support and being with her in nature meant a lot to me and helped me to get out of the situation I was in.
This is proof that there are still people in the world who selflessly share what someone else needs at any given moment.
Bernarda Jenko, 7. 4. 2025
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