For J

My friend J, who lives here in town, has been going through a lot recently. I mentioned her in a post several weeks ago. I wish that I could make things better for her, that I had something of value to say to her, that I could wish us all back to a time when there were choices to be made so the right one would be made.

But that made me think: how far back? Which choice? The one that is destroying a family? The one that created the family in the first place? The one to go to class, to a social event, to a party that introduced you to each other?

We all have made decisions that were bad. No one is perfect. But I am left wondering again, as I watch from the sidelines, how are we supposed to know that one seemingly small choice can impact our lives forever? And what are we to do when promises are made and broken? How does one person give everything they can while another refuses to give at all? How do you fix what's broken when half of the equation chooses not to participate in the repairs?

The amount of sadness in the world astonishes me. The depth of sadness that one person can feel is beyond my comprehension right now. J, just know that I am here for you and that I'm not the only one. So many people are praying for you, holding you up right now. I know I speak for everyone when I say, lean on us. You will find a way. The skies are cloudy today but the sun's gonna shine again.