In any case…I have friends with heavy burdens right now. Whether it be money, stress, job, sickness, weight, love (or their perceived lack thereof), drugs (the bad kind), self esteem, family…there aren’t but two or three I can imagine that are in a good place. I have few without problems in their lives. But I love them still, very dearly, all of them. Even if they don’t know it. As much as I would snap my fingers and make it better for them, my issue sometimes…is getting sad that I can do little or nothing to help. Moral support only goes so far. And it’s draining on me, physically and mentally. I’m pretty thankful to be in a good place right now to level it all out. It just seems I am surrounded by despair lately….

A friend’s sister died. A friend’s grandmother may follow. (I’m pulling for her to last through the holiday.) A friend just got dumped. A friend just found out he contracted a virus. Another friend’s sister died. That friend has been stuck in the hospital 300 days out of this year. A friend disappeared. A friend lost his job. A friend will probably never know love unartificial.

I think it gets like that during the holiday season, though. Or maybe it’s a combination of haves-havenots with the cold and achey seasonal affective disorder. The longing in the air increases…along with the fakeness. Now don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of genuine people during the holiday season. But there are more of those who act fake. I can’t help but blame the media. And commercial peddlers. But we’re not going there today.

Did I mention that my parents are moving back to the UK? I don’t even want to begin imagining the chaos that will ensue when the movers come on Thursday. My dad must be at his wit’s end and my mom can’t be too far behind. The only happy one in that house right now has got to be the dog.

More later. The subway just arrived at Farragut North so it’s time to sign off. All I want for Christmas are cures for HIV, MS, Cancer, Stupidity and Diabetes. I’ll take 4 out of the 5 if I can’t have 5.