Blessed Be the Fruit

Do you ever go to the wrong people looking for things you know they can’t or won’t give you? Things like approval, affection, acknowledgement - or an apology if the situation warrants one? That’s called “going to the hardware store for apples” - a phrase I heard in an Al-Anon meeting when I was seventeen. It’s a fruitless endeavor to seek compassion from people who don’t feel empathy, whatever the reason. It’s painful to love people who are in the grip of addiction, suffering from a personality disorder or dealing with any affliction that causes them to struggle with accountability. This episode is about when it makes sense to try to have a conversation with someone who sees the world from a very different vantage point, even if it feels exhausting or hopeless.