The Look

You know that look people give you when something 

traumatic in your life has happened?

For example: death, divorce, health scare, etc.

You know:

The head tilt 

then

The Voice:

"How are you DOING?"

*With an emphasis on the word doing.

Pregnant women get it too, just a slight variation:

"How are you FEELING?" 

*Don't forget the head tilt.* 

I've been the giver and the receiver of 

The Look.

Here's why I think we do this awful thing:

We don't know what to say.

We don't know how to act. 

We don't know how to treat the person who just got divorced.

We don't know what to say to someone 

who has just lost a loved one.

We don't know what to say to the Cancer patient.

And there is really nothing to say to the 9 month pregnant woman but:

"Hey, I know it sucks. Sorry you feel ginormous."

So instead of acting natural, we are awkward.

 It's not that we don't care!

 We want to say something but we don't know what.

In my case, people didn't want to talk about it.

No one ever wanted to say the "D" word.

Even now if I mention my Ex, 

people get weird and assume I hate him.

I don't, so relax.

Now don't worry,

 I have a solution:

Knock it off.

Don't be weird.

If someone is experiencing a trial,

 everything they knew as

"normal" 

is forever gone.

The last thing they need is for you not to be normal.

In my case, crazy is normal. 

So if I'm ever acting "normal," you should be worried.

So tilt your head and ask me:

"How are you doing?" 

Then prepare to be slapped.