Depressed

So, one might ask: How can Chayyei Sarah be blogging about her much-anticipated financial windfall on a day that over 20 thousand people have died in a horrible natural disaster?

We are whistling in the dark, dear friends. Just whistling in the dark.

A young married woman I know here invited me to attend a concert with her last night. Yesterday morning she called; someone in her family with whom she'd been very close had died, a woman in her 40's with several small and teenage children. But she still wanted to go to the concert, to take her mind off it. So we went, but not before having an emotional conversation in which she told me all about this wonderful woman who had died. She was crying a little and I didn't really have much to do but listen, you know? I mean, I'm happy to do that, but it's not easy.

Then, we went to the concert, where her husband met up with us, but the concert wasn't really "happening," and we were hungry, so we went to get something to eat. The three of us are in the restaurant, and the husband, who, it turns out, is clinically depressed but won't admit it, starts telling me all about his issues. His wife is sitting there as if it's perfectly normal for her husband to be unloading his emotional concerns on a woman he hardly knows. I had this deep feeling once again of having gone down a rabbit hole. And once again, there was nothing I could do but listen, particularly since the husband admitted, when I questioned him, that he doesn't really want to feel better and doesn't really want any help. So, I just listened. Again, I'm happy to do it -- that's what friends are for-- but it's hard.

Meanwhile, I found out that an old NCSY friend of mine, who has breast cancer, is having a mastectomy today. As I right this, actually. She's just 32 years old. ::sigh:: She has to survive the cancer, she just has to, because I'm tired of my friends dying on me.

Not to mention that Saturday was the second anniversary of the death of my friend Jenny. Who, yes, was a Truly Popular Girl.

Oh, and I'm worried about Getupgrrl's twins. Amazing how invested one can become in the story of a woman one has never met.

And then I check JewishWhistleBlower (whose site I check occasionally but never believe unless he's got a reliable source listed to back up his claim), and we find out that Adam Wexler, the bassist for one of my favorite musical groups, Reva L'Sheva, has been indicted for sexually abusing a little girl in his community - and apparently has confessed to at least some of the charges. (Translation of the article in the comments here.) Time to throw away 2 of my favorite CDs, which I'd never be able to enjoy the same way again.

:-(

The only thing that cheers me up is Telma's white chocolate "Click" bar with chocolate nougat, which I would be nibbling at morosely if I had one right now (so it's a good thing I don't), and Manolo's Shoe Blog, where I can gaze enviously at these and these.

Whistling in the dark . . .