I love my friends... even the ones without clarity.

I am always saddened by the loss of a friend but I am almost more saddened by the loss of a normal life. I have a friend who went from that of a normal life to that of a mentally unstable one, literally sidetracked by schizophrenia, and it is really a bummer to be a helpless witness to the literal madness. He still feels the emotional pangs of human nature yet is almost totally void of emotional self-control. Perhaps he is no longer truly plagued by the foibles of so-called sanity, a reprieve from the normal challenges of daily life, but I still feel his pains nearly as much as before. It is definitely a different kind of life challenge for him as well as those who know him well enough to call him a friend. I suppose I have much to learn about it for a grander purpose than I am currently aware.