I'm the kind of person who always tries to find the good in all things in my life. I have some health issues, I don't have a paid job and don't know if I'll ever get another one. I've suffered some awful things in my early life.
This is true for many people, I'm well aware of that, many people have much worse than I have to deal with. I have a lovely family, and some dear friends who care deeply for me. I am a truly lucky person.
One of those dear friends though is suffering at the moment. Their spouse has a mental illness, and isn't doing well with it at the moment. This means my spouse is having a terrible time in their life. I've been keeping in contact with this friend, through emails and txt messages.
I let them know I care, and I hope they can find a way to find a way to live a better life. At the moment though, my friend only seems to be able to focus on the bad things. They go over the bad things over and over, with no thought of anything else.
I'm catching up with my friend tomorrow for coffee and a chat prior to our writing group meeting. My friends says they feel the need to talk to someone who at least in part understands what they're going through. I'm not sure that I do in fact have a big understanding of the extent of their issue, but I am more then happy to be there and listen to them as they talk through it all.
That's what my role in this friendship, I'm there to listen with empathy, and try to help them find some good in their life. That's what good friends do. That's what I will do.
We've shared good times and sad times. This is one of the sad times. My friend thinks I have some special gift that keeps me happy and positive in my troubled life. I don't have a special gift though. What I have is knowledge that no matter how bad life seems, there are ways to see happier times. Being alive is what helps a person to see those happier times.
Life isn't always going to be great, but if you wake up and can get up to face the day, you have the potential to live a good life. Positive feelings help me through, they can help us all.
Monday, January 2, 2012
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2 comments:
you seem to have an in-built ballast, Carolyn which always rights itself; there is no worse time to suffer than over the xams/new year period; everything is exaggerated when everybody else seems to be having a good time
Thanks for your valuable thoughts John. I have discovered I am a resilient person. Resilience makes it possible to keep going. Many people, sadly have little resilience, and they crumble at every challenge.
I embrace my life challenges, and look for the best way to go. I'm not sure if resilience is something people can be upskilled in. I think it's something I'll do some research on.
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