Imagine loving candy. Loving candy so much that you just have to have it. But, you can't. You are not allowed. You don't know why, but you can't. Nobody can tell you the reason, nobody can explain it, but you just can't.
Now, imagine having to walk past a candy store once a week. No matter what, you HAVE to walk past this candy store once a week. You will do this for most of your life. You cannot go another route, you cannot stop going where you are headed. You just have to pass this candy store. You will never go in and purchase candy, you will just see it as you pass.
What do you do? Do you hate that walk every single week? Are you miserable every time you have to do it? Do you get so angry that you stomp around and make a scene? What other choices do you have? Could you just walk by and try to ignore the shop? Just look the other way when you approach it. Try to pretend it isn't there. It would be difficult, but maybe. Perhaps you could pause by the place and just "window shop". Maybe that would get you past the awkward moment in your week. Somehow, admiring the candy would ease the pain. Knowing that others are buying candy and enjoying it could bring you some peace.
This is the scenario I came up with in my head for a problem I am having. It's an awful problem. It depresses me. I refuse to let it take over, but it is there and will not go away for a long time, if ever. I guess the only thing I can do right now, is go and have a piece of REAL candy and enjoy the fact that at least I can do that.
