News of a Death

[Ligottian]

Two days ago I got a phone call from a former co-worker telling me that his son and only child (late 30's) died of cancer. He left behind a wife and two children. He had the cancer for seven years or so and died in a cancer hospital. The ex co-worker I mentioned is a total mental and physical wreck who lives in an assisted living home. His life is a horror story I wont get into. Speaking of assisted living, last week I visited a friend with dementia who lives in a facility. He seems to be getting worse.

The reason I mention all of this is, especially in the past, I imagined pretty much everyone else had more or less happy lives. I sometimes feel guilty for ever having felt that way. Can anyone else relate at all to this?

 

[Unending]

I can relate to feeling this way quite a bit in the past, as if everyone around me was doing just fine while I was burning in metaphorical hellfire. I think in my case, I see other people's status relative to where mine is.

For example, if I'm severely suicidal and depressed and am having consistent breakdowns, those around me who have seemingly normal work stress or a more typical set of life problems always shock me when I find out that one of them have a chronic or traumatic issue. It's always a reminder that you can't see every problem within everybody.

I've forgotten this in the past since it feels like my problems are always out in the open and visible on my face.

 

[SamTam33]

I think about this quite often, but then I'm so confused when those same people - with the mountain of problems - keep going and have no thoughts whatsoever about giving up.

It makes me believe that their tolerance for pain and hardship is infinite.

So while they have horrible problems just like we do, they're calibrated differently.

Be it good or bad, they're built to weather those storms over-and-over again.

It's less confusing when I frame it that way.

 

[Capsaicin78]

I just really think it's so sad to see people go who dont want to. But at the same time we imprison human beings in this world by denying access to assisted suicide. Life can be real cruel man