For me, I know that I'm on a path of much of my own choosing. I know that some days it's bloody difficult and some days, not so bad. Some days I see my folly, and some days I think I got drug in here when I was unconscious. But irregardless, the benefit is not feeling so doggone, unspeakably and undeniably alone in my journey.
I don't love that someone else is hurting, but when I hear a story and can, with a stroke of the pen, erase their name and insert my own, I can say, "man, that's me!!!!"
And in seeing that, it helps clarify that not only am I not alone, but I care for that person and allows me to understand how all of these "strangers" can care for me.
It also allows me to hear through another's voice some of the krazy thinking that I so often find myself dwelling in and realize how much power I have over my own brain and ultimately, then, my life and choices.
You are all friends and companions. Thanks!