Happy and sad

In many cases we don't control our lives. The sooner we realize that, the better for us. Sometimes things that are decided without our influence are good for us. Sometimes they are not good.

There was one thing that was decided for me and 4 million others, and as you can guess it, it was decided by politicians.

What I've learned at young age was that beside other things, it is politics that shapes our lives, wanted we that or not. My life was shaped by Dayton accord that was signed 15 years ago. This agreement brought peace to my home country, and allowed me to have more choice in regards to my life.

Majority of people don't know anything about Dayton accord - I could say that they are ignorant and foolish, but on the other hand, who has time today to worry about world politics anyway?

What matters is that people who were affected by this political agreement understand its value.

In nutshell, this accord stopped the war, divided the country and legalized genocide. Only good thing that came from it was the end of cataclysmic events that made even Leningrad siege short.

However, for me, this accord was the most important event of my life that I didn't control. It was signed far away from my home, in some foreign country that I only knew from movies and books.

There was this agreement that was signed on this very day 15 years ago, and there was this American diplomat who orchestrated whole event. This American Diplomat was Richard Holbrooke.

Mr. Holbrooke was remembered for engineering the end of the 1992-1995 Bosnia war — Europe's bloodiest conflict since the Second World War. He was instrumental in bringing peace to Bosnia. An unjust peace, but still a peace.

This peace helped me to feel "normal" life, to live normally, to get my education, to live without fear, to see sunrises and sunsets, and many other things. One of these things is this blog.

If there were no Mr. Holbrooke, I might have not been here at this moment. I know it is almost impossible to speculate, about "what if", but I know for sure that this man helped me indirectly through his politics.

I also know that politicians are not welcomed and valued because of all the valid reasons we experience and know today, but I know that Mr.Holbrooke helped me get my life.

It is so strange how strangers help us, and they don't know anything about it.

What is amazing is that Mr. Holbrooke died yesterday, one day short of celebrating his biggest diplomatic success - 15 years since Dayton accord.

It has been somehow bittersweet feeling today - when I am thinking about peace that I have gotten and when I am thinking about last 15 years, I am very happy.

When I think about Richard Holbrooke and his passing I am very sad.

It is amazing how all of us are connected in this world, and this was proven with my connection with Richard Holbrooke.