Sitting on My Hands, Friendwise

As a friend, I can do many things. I can go either way (and I'm not talking bisexual here). I can be all guylike-"let me roll up my sleeves, wade in and solve this problem" or I can go girl-"and how did that make you feel?" Once I figure out which is called for, which can be a challenge sometimes, I can hit from either side of the plate.

As a friend I can also lighthouse, care package, shoulder, chauffeur, amateur therapist, cheerlead, cowbell ring, sidetake and, on occasion, ugly stepsister into the wrong friend shoes entirely. What I cannot do, what I totally suck at, is idly standing by. It's just not in my nature. I feel a debt to those who are tied to me and who I have chosen to tie myself to and I can't not seek to repay it. I repeat, I can't NOT seek to repay it.

This comes to mind now because there are friends out there hurting. Right now, as I type this. And there's not a damn thing I can do to help them. Yeah, I've offered, offered so much I might get a handslap next. It's almost rude how much I've offered. Yeah, I've sent good thoughts their way and am with this blog sending those thoughts still. But sometimes, as much as it kills me to say it, there just isn't any help that can be given.

We friends wait, with bated breath and hands clutched, as the building implodes, waiting to see what of our friend will emerge when the dust settles.