pedestrians, life frustrations, and memories

I would like to say that while I always knew Atlanta to be an unfriendly place for pedestrians, I'm really quite apalled my interactions with drivers this week as a pedestrian. I was out running on Tuesday night with my friend, and we were passing in front of the entrance to a subdivision when all the sudden she grabbed my arm and told me to watch out. A car that was turning into the subdivision, who really had no excuse not to see us, almost ran into us. Yesterday I was running alongside the road and I started to cross in front of a side road that's not a busy intersection. I glanced behind me and the approaching car didn't have it's turning signal on so I continued to cross. The car proceded to go around me and almost hit me in the process. Today I decided to try the walk to work. It was fine except for crossing one busy intersection. Even with the walk signal, the cars continued to make right turns like I wasn't there. I miss even being a pedestrian in San Francisco. This doesn't help my grieving process over leaving...

In the last 24 hours, I've listened to each of the girls in my family cry over the phone about tough life stuff. My 11 year old sister called yesterday because both my mom and sister were crying and she needed someone to talk to who wasn't upset. I want my sister to be a normal 6th grader who doesn't have to try to console her mom. Today I called my mom on my way home from work and she cried, wondering when this battle with depression will ever lighten up and she'll feel back to "normal" (which isn't normal, but simply a manageable state of depression). Tonight I talked to my other sister who is in the middle of dealing with a messy break-up and is frustrated with where my mom's at. I can understand why she feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. I'm just not sure when relief will come. I'm tired of watching my family hurt. I know I've said earlier that sometimes I wish my mom had cancer instead of depression because at least we'd know what we're up against. Well, I'm beginning to feel like it is cancer. At least a cancer of her mind. And I'm really frustrated. I'll be honest- I'm having a hard time understanding where God's taking us with this...

On a lighter note, this weekend I'm going back to Birmingham for the first time since I graduated college. I'm excited to see old friends, be on campus, go to old hangouts. I'm looking forward to the memories- good and bad- associated with that place. I feel like I've not really ventured down memory lane much since I left college. I think it will be good to go back...