I just read the latest entry "Guilty Strange Moment" in Nick's ejournal The Path to Enlightened Insanity Via Defacted Musings I had a few thoughts on it, but couldn't really think of a way to comment directly without sounding as though I were just trying to say "there, there, it's alright. No need to feel guilty." That's not my intent.
For those not inclined to read the entry, my friend was feeling selfish because he found it personally helpful to comfort someone else after the loss of her sister.
Well, for my two cents, if the main reason you were there for her was to offer comfort, then how could it be selfish? We often hear about how good it feels to help others, but without something (large or small) bad happening, there would be nothing to help with. I say the more good you can find in a bad thing, the better it is for everyone.
Everything we experience touches us in some way, whether for better or worse- usually a little of both. It's the duality that keeps us in perspective. For the same reason that a hug seems to mean more on a bad day, the little comforts we find in sadness are often the most potent of all.
Posted by Jenn at June 20, 2006 01:50 AM