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I have been feeling more artistic lately. Completely unrelated to anything I am posting about tonight.

It is funny how different people handle different things differently. That sounded kind of redundant . . . some people couldn't handle losing their jobs. Others couldn't handle losing a loved one. Still others couldn't handle numerous other things to happen to them. I think we all have an Achilles' heel; it just depends who we are and what it is.

People have been making fun of Britney Spears lately. I don't particularly like her music or choice in clothing (or lack there of). However, I empathize with her struggles right now. None of us knows what she is going through right now. She is young and a mother. She is going through a divorce. She grew up in the spotlight. She didn't have a normal childhood. No one taught her how to deal with everything she is going through right now. In her own way, she is crying out for help. It isn't a time to ridicule or chastise her. It is a time to be compassionate. I bet she could really use a real friend right now.

In the end, we all just want to know we aren't alone. We want to be accepted for who we are and understood. We don't want to be forgotten or to become insignificant.

Visiting the people in the nursing home or the kids at the shelter really makes me think. They are so thankful just to have someone visit with them. They crave attention just like the rest of us, but they get even less of it. I feel guilty when an old woman genuinely thanks me for bringing a dog in her room so she can pet it. I feel selfish because if that is all it takes to make this woman happy, I want to be there every day to give her that. On the other hand, I am too selfish because I have other things in my life that are more important to me. It is confusing because once you realize the difference you can make in the lives of others, you are torn between constantly wanting to make that difference and carrying out your own goals. I guess there has to be a balance. I think we have all become too hurt and isolated. Everyone has walls built up around themselves. The way we live makes us all miserable. We all have so much to give, but we are so terrified of getting hurt that it stays locked up inside of us sometimes. We don't trust people when they are trying to love us. At the same time, we blame them for not loving us enough. This is our condition.

It is getting late, and I must get some sleep.