I don't know what it was like. You're right, I don't. And I have no idea what to say. Platitudes won't help. But I think I'm beginning to understand why it's worth trying anyway.
His fingers scraped the floor as he sat on the toilet, unwilling to stand up. He didn't need to use the restroom. He was hiding. His only question was from what.
His family was as well as they had ever been, which wasn't saying a lot. His job was fine. His health was fine. His future was a problem, but wasn't everybody's? And besides he was young. Time will tell. His fingers scraped the floor in circles as he contemplated.
What was he running from? He wasn't sure. So he just ran to the bathroom and sat down behind the locked door and didn't cry. He sat for a long time. He sat until the blood was gone from his legs. He sat until his fingers were cold from dragging on the linoleum. He sat until he wasn't as sad as he was before.
Nobody had anything to say to him. Nothing helped. People at church talked about God. The proof was in the pudding, and his pudding was soup. People at work talked about the government. Again, soup. Minestrone.
People who were his friends didn't have much to say at all. Some help they were. But then, he was just in "hard times." It's difficult to help someone who doesn't have any definable problems. So his main problem was that he needed to define his problems.
He supposed (at this, he sat up) his problem was hope.
He had none.
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Well-written. Sad. I think that's what you were going for, yes?
ReplyDeleteYou can't find answers unless you want them, though, you know.
I wrote this because I can't comfort my friends. I have literally no ability. I just try to let them know I love them anyway and we move past it. Not good enough, but I'm not a professional counselor.
ReplyDeleteHahaha the juxtaposition here is beautiful. You can't comfort your friends but you do in pretty much the only useful way-- meaning that you can.
ReplyDeleteWell done.
Hm. It just doesn't help as much as I wish it could.
ReplyDeleteIt never does, though. I've never been able to comfort my friends the way I wish I could.
ReplyDeleteI just listen, make sure I understand, tell them I'm sorry, pray with them if they let me, and try to make them laugh. What else is there?