Discouragement and Mourning

Writing Status

I seem to be stuck in holding when it comes to furthering my writer’s business acumen. Writing itself is my comfort when I get discouraged by the effort and time it’s taking to learn how to promote what I write. I know taking the steps will at least make me feel like I’m moving forward. Discouragement wonders what good it will do.

It took me a few days to realize that world affairs and physiology converged to create a hole easy to get mired in. (Sorry, guys, but if you have or plan to have a long-term relationship with a woman, you ought to know about this stuff.) After three months free of periods, hot flashes pretty much gone, I got my period—heavy, crampy, and any little thing making me teary. Oh, joy. Now, the estrogen has to wane again, which probably means more hot flashes. More joy.

The Human Condition

The tears aren’t just hormonal, they stem from reality. I live in Western Massachusetts and it’s the anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. The news is full of replays and stories of what the survivors have endured.

The sinking ferry in South Korea hit hard. One of my sons is in high school. I can’t imagine the no man’s land of hope, dread, and outright terror in those holding areas for the families as they wait for word of their loved ones.

So, not simple discouragement. Sometimes you have to take time to set aside personal concerns and mourn for others—the wasted potential of young lives, the loss of those left behind—then find a way to get to the place where you can celebrate the amazing courage of those who continue despite grief and hardship.