●Hi, Carolyn: It’s been a bad time for my husband and me. I haven’t been able to get pregnant since a miscarriage about a year ago, and many people around me have had babies or are getting pregnant.71I have been looking for another job for months and have been on more interviews than I ever thought I would get. But I still don’t have a new position.
72 I know everyone has ups and downs, but I feel like I’ve been down so long, with nothing changing. How do you continue feeling hopeful when so many things go wrong? I’ve seen a doctor. She did help, but it still hurts when another friend is pregnant or wait another week with no job offer.            —Feeling Down
●Dear, Feeling down: It will hurt, yes. And if you’ve lost hope, then analyzing the depression is a must. It’s so personal that it’s hard to make suggestions, but what are you reliably good at, what gives you great pleasure, and what puts smiles on your face? 73 For many it’s just getting to the other side, knowing you have a favorite book or the person you love waiting for you at the end of the day.
Personally, being a mom also comes with difficult lows, since all kids struggle with the world and with their parents. It’s their job. While you say “so many things go wrong,” I actually count two in your letter—losing your baby and your job. 74 But you do have your general health, your talents, your marriage, your friends, your family, and other abilities and interests to move you forward. 75    —Carolyn

A. I don’t mean to minimize either; they’re life’s challenges, and you’re facing both. B. I’m beginning to feel like I can’t have things go right. C. Would you be so kind as to help me with my problems? D. My job is probably not going to last beyond spring. E. Whenever you need them, they are proof of your strength. F. For some people it’s exercise; for some it’s giving their time to a goal. G. Take a deep breath and just take it easy.