Am I the kiss of doom?

[Aperitif]

Seems a bit morbid but I was chatting earlier today with a nurse from the dental practice next door to the office and I asked if she was ok - she seemed a bit 'out of sorts'.
To cut a long story short, six of her family have died this week, road accidents, illness, and old age, both in the UK and India.
Didn't really know what to say - she was working to take her mind off things and to stop the feeling of helplessness...six funerals starting tonight.

It can be easy to forget one's 'lot' at times like this.

 

[Arch]

There's really nothing you can say to that is there. Poor woman.

One of Tom's friends lost a Great Aunt around the same time, so his family went from Tom's funeral to hers the next day, I thought that was bad enough...

 

[GaryA]

I can emphasise Arch 7 years ago I lost my partner, crashed my m/cycle and nearly lost the house...harder for men in some ways in that showing/talking feeling emotion with other men is kinda taboo- and futile
Ironically the heightened emotional state actually can make you feel more alive...more tuned in to the lows and highs (usually of the past), adversity either makes you or breaks you but nearly always you emerge a better stronger person
How did i cope...prospective- i looked around and thought about other people in far worse condition than me and counted as 'blessings' the fact that i still had my health, relative youth & potential opportunity..its all too easy to become self absorbed even self obsessed at personal subjective feelings- sometimes you have to remember that countless people over the years have gone through and felt just as bad
Sometimes you have to fool yourself by shaking off the subjective feeling of being a isolated ego and thinking 'well in the grand general scheme of life and the universe what does my happiness or unhappiness really matter' that sounds crazy but ironically, usually when you really believe it cant get worse, it suddenly gets better..usually in most unexpected ways
Remember the world is good and bad up and down, one is meaningless without the other and its a salent fact that to appreciate fully the greatest 'ups' you have to have experienced the worst 'downs'

I loom at myself now, happily married, decent house, baby on the way, we even have a moggie( i hated the things) and the journey and circumstances from 7 yrs ago to now is one that i could never, ever, in a millions years have predicted
A philosopher once said "The greatest act of mortal pride and celebration is to give thanks" :?: ...even if you think you have nothing

 

[Arch]

There's something even more comforting when words of wisdom come from a man whose avatar is Daffy Duck...

Cheers. And good luck with the little 'un. As someone due to be an auntie in the next week or so, I can just about begin to appreciate how that gives meaning to life...

And it's terrifying! It's not even me having the thing (sorry, should say 'baby'), and I'm on tenterhooks!