I once heard a saying that in a room full of people, if everyone dumped their problems out onto the floor, each person would pick up and leave with their own. I greatly appreciate the irony in this.

In the middle of any crisis, it is natural to feel alone. After my Dad's death earlier this year, I remember looking at the world continuing in its regular pace with a feeling of surrealism. That my life could be in such turmoil while things went along as usual gave me a strong sense of separateness. It almost felt like being on the outside of a fishtank looking in.

Ever since utter chaos took up residence in my life this year, though, I have heard incredible stories of survival from so many women. I listened with utter disbelief as friends, on line acquaintances, or even women I have just met, shared their experiences. Some survived abuse, financial loss, the death of children, or horrific familial ordeals. Each, in telling their stories, expressed a matter-of-fact attitude. To me the listener, the stories were astounding. From the teller's point of view, it was just the facts of her life.

With this in mind, I can understand why anyone would choose their own circumstances after a comparison. We all assume 'everyone' else is living a life of balance, peace and love. Everyone else has perfect families. Everyone else has perfect marriages. Everyone else knows what they are doing. The reality is that we are all doing the best with what we have. We all are walking wounded, in various stages of healing and growth. It is hard to feel so isolated after remembering that none of us was given the answer key.

all the best,

Catie

The above article is reprinted with permission.

About the Author: Catie Gosselin is founder/editor of WomanLinks.com. She is a freelance writer, a homeschooling mom of two, and an avid fan of laughter, cats and chocolate (not necessarily in that order).