Is there such a thing as "normal"?

I received notice today that someone I cared about once is "very fragile" and I don't know what was meant by that term, nor do I have any way of finding out. I don't know if she has physical problems or mental or emotional problems, but I suspect the latter. If so, I have hope that she, too, may overcome.

"We can overcome, we can overcome, we can overcome one day...
Deep in my heart I do believe
We can overcome one day..."

And I would wish for her that she, too, will overcome, and I know she will. She will do it without me now although at one time in my distant past I might have helped. I can no longer help other than be gentle with an action I started a year ago which may have hurt her. She can overcome.

Thinking there is a psychological problem is far easier for me to deal with than believing she has a serious physical problem. A psychological problem is my country, after all. I know it can be healed.

There must be a norm by which to gauge the rest of our behavior, but it seems to me to be relative. Our friends often seem normal on the outside but are they really living "lives of quiet desperation"?

I would say mental illness is not normal until confronted with the statistics, then what do you say? So many living with anxiety, depression, SAD, OCD, bipolar, schizophrenia, schizoid illnesses, ADD, autism, neuroticisms of all description. And finding joy and meaning in life.

I don't think we're flawed. I think we're compassionate and interesting.

I once drank alcohol to excess because I found it resulted in oblivion and an initial transient improvement in my mood. That got me in no end of trouble and it's been more than 17 years now since my last drink. My drinking no doubt contributed to my very unhappy second marriage and anguish for my children.

Drinking can stop. Psychological anguish can be turned into sunshine and a meaningful and rich life. It can be done.

I see a fellow human being in every person who stumbles and falls. There but for the grace of God go I. There are no White Rabbits in my life anymore. I was mistaken.

The charity is as charity does. No problem, whatever happens, and I must phone my friend associated with the charity with whom I visit every two weeks to gently say, I am your friend and will remain your friend, but perhaps our helping relationship may change.

Bad things change and good things change.

"And it's no nay never
No nay never no more...
Will I play the wild Rover,
No never no more..."

I'm still the Wild Rover, aren't I? Some people like me that way.