Perspective

I have expended many a word on this blog complaining about what is wrong with my life. My unsatisfying job, lack of girlfriend, loneliness... basically, I have spent much time wallowing in my misery.

But sometimes there are moments in our lives that give someone as self absorbed as I, cause to think about what is truly tragic. Today had one of those moments.

I stock supply rooms on the 4th floor of the University of Michigan Hospital. On one of the 4 subunits(A,B,C, and D) there works a young Nurse's Aid who cannot be much older than 20. I had not seen this young lady in a long time until today.

When I first saw her I did not immediately recognize her for she had one of the cancer turbans chemotherapy patients wear. I was simultaneously shocked and sadden when I realized that I knew her.

Though I have no clue as to her name and have spoken but a few words to her, she has always worked with a sunny disposition and treated co-workers and patients with kindness.

It may seem peculiar that I am touched by a singular personal tragedy when I work in a building full of them, but the familiarity is what makes this one poignant. One can become inured to the individual calamities that surround you when you are around them everyday. But when the same thing happens to a person you work next too, it is as if you were stricken by a bolt of lightning.

How can such a thing happen to someone so young, vibrant, and sweet natured? How?Life can be so cruel.

But the cruelty of life is not why I am writing this entry.The reason for my writing this is to remind myself and whomever reads this, that life is challenging for us all. Many are faced with even greater trials than we have before us. The situation in this entry highlights that fact.

Few people in this world have it easy.The vast majority of humanity is dealing with troubles of some kind. But some are worse off than most. We should never forget when we are pondering our own difficulties.