“How can you do it?” I’m asked, “You are the one who needs help, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, someone to be your friend. How can you always be there for everyone else?”

It’s simple of course, being there for someone takes so little, a short time, a few minutes on the phone, a short drive. It’s no real effort. And the results, the effect it has, can, sometimes, be so profound, not to just never occurs to me!

Being there for yourself, on the other hand, is very hard. When you’ve had all you can take, when life hands you another spoonful of hateful, hurtful, painful, just plain life… It seems like nothing could overcome your pain, your troubles, your hurt.

By comparison, from your perspective, other peoples problems are such a relief from your own thoughts, and if you can help someone, perhaps, just maybe, you can get some respite, an all too brief moment of calm, peace, tranquility. Perhaps even the chance to sleep? Well, lets not over-reach…

“How can I do it?” My answer, “How can I not? Someone needs me, it’s the one thing I can do, and do well. Everything else around me is crumbling to dust. This I can do, I can make a difference, and reduce the world’s pain, even if only a little. And perhaps the universe will notice that I’ve got more than my share at the same time…”