why so sad?

why are there so many people hurting in my life? many of my friends are dealing with shockingly painful pasts or presents. i don't envy any of them, but i would take it upon myself to lighten their load for a time if i thought that i could.

one friend is estranged from her father, and hasn't been spokento by her brother in 7 years. her mother is a serial dater who has believed 5 different men have been "the one" on separate occasions over the last six months. she just found out recently that her endometriosis may progress soon to the point where she is no longer capable of bearing her own children. her good friend has relapsed to use of crack cocaine. and on top of it all, the hard work she has put in this summer to make money to pay for school may have obliterated her chances of getting the osap she desperately needs to get by.

another friend is currently struggling between two coping behaviours: alcoholism and bulemia. she uses one to avoid doing the other. she continues to deal with the death of her grandmother, a woman she loved like a mother. she is facing new decisions about her education and the choice to enter into inpatient treatment for herself in the fall.

another friend has just recently recovered from mono. in addition to the overwhelming fatigue, she also suffered an injury that kept her from doing the training she needed to balance her life. she was recently involved in a break up, and is now working towards conquering her fear of being alone. her family life is artificial and she doesn't feel love form her mother. she feels lost and heartbroken, and wavers between tears and indifference.

another friend is wallowing in excess. he is concerned about his drinking and marijuana use to escape from his life. he feels burdened by the fact that his only brother is a globetrotter that ignores his family. he has recently learned that he has adhd that scores off the charts, and has been recommended to a psychologist for assessment. it makes him think he's broken or ill, and makes him doubt himself even more than he was before. he has a very cynical view of western education and democracy. he's confused about his destiny in this life, and what he might be here to do. and, he's trying to figure out why he's letting himself get hung up on a girl that hurt him.

there are many other people in my life, beyond these ones, who are also waging their own wars. some of the issues are small, and some are large. whatever they are, there are many people in my life with a cloud over their head. it seems like it has all come to head at once. as if the saying, "when it rains, it pours," really does apply to these things. i just hope that this is also the storm before the calm. i don't like seeing those i care about it pain.