Fractured Lives Part 1

Two real-life scenarios to ponder:

“I don’t have any joy in my life.”

            I sat across from my friend not knowing what to say. She was dead-on serious. No joy.

            Scooting closer to her, I put my arm around her shoulder, and asked, “What’s going on?”

            Through tears my friend began her story. “My life is not what I expected. I feel like everything I touch goes sour. I’m not a good mom. My kids are horrible. They never listen. And my husband is distant. I feel I’m a shadow roaming the halls of my home. I’m scared.”

“I’m worried about everything.”

            Lunch had been unusually quiet. I knew something was up, but decided to keep the conversation light, hoping my work associate would cheer up. When she didn’t, I laid my fork down, and waited. I knew her well enough to know something was wrong.

            “John told me if my sales aren’t up by the end of the month I’ll need to find another job.”

            Our boss wasn’t the most tactful man, but he knew Jodi was the bread winner. Her husband hadn’t worked in three years due to an accident on his job. Their son stayed in trouble, and their daughter was in rehab from a drug overdose. Couldn’t John have given a gentle warning and another chance?

            “I’m sorry,” I began. “We’re halfway through the month. How are things going?”

            Jodi looked down at her lap. “Guess I should be looking for a job. I can’t afford to miss one paycheck. Dan’s disability has been denied again. Court expenses for Jason have eaten away our savings. When Mary Ellen gets out of rehab . . . guess what? She coming home, again. I’m so worried. We’re sinking, and I feel it’s all my fault.”

Fractured lives.

            No joy. Worried. Fearful. Depressed. Lost.

            I hear these kind of stories a lot. They come within normal every day conversations, emails, phone calls, and texts. Women, especially, seem to be overflowing, over-tight, and overstretched with life.

            Our lives are becoming more complex. We don’t budget our time; we expend it at a rapid-fire rate. There is nothing left.

Do you see yourself or someone you know struggling with life?

How do we manage to keep our lives balanced and joyful?

            Stay tuned for Part 2 of Fractured Lives.

God bless you always!

(Picture found on tonysmusings.blogspot.com. I did not generate the image. If you love the picture, read Tony's poems)