Great that you gained something out of the bad experience and are back to your (metaphorical or otherwise) heavy lifting. I have the fortune of meeting and speaking with a lot of business owners and am always reminded of how bad things can get - like the lady who lost her healthy, brilliant daughter but battles on. Or the one who has bravely picked up the threads of the business after losing her brother who used to run the show.

I recently was in contact with a business owner who has had a rough year and a half. She lost her nephew (32 year old) last year and her sister in law recently. She has then developed a debilitating vertigo condition and any movement of the head brings on a dizzy spin. She quoted her Dad to me, "better it can be, worse it shouldn’t." What keeps her going is the focus on the brighter side of life. She was looking forward to her daughter’s college graduation at the top of her class. 

Perhaps you can start a Small Business Hero award where you let the community nominate their local heroes?