roronoa79 wrote:
she's been going through a very hard time ... part of me wants it to go somewhere, sigh...
Priority Number One is:
Be there for a friend you care about. If you think you'd like to help her, and if it truly appears that you really
can help her, then help her, for goodness' sake!
Your motivation is probably Priority Number Two, if not lower.
The outcome (
e.g. far-fetched happy ending wherein she turns out to be pansexual or demiromantic or something, and thus you can live happily ever after, or at least enjoy a passionate whirlwind romance for a while; tell me that's never crossed your mind and I'll tell you you're deluded, my friend!) is Priority Number Three.
Priority Number One is:
BE THERE FOR YOUR FRIEND. If it tears you apart, be there. She's your friend. If it scars you for life, be there. She's your friend. If it ultimately puts you in the mental hospital, so be it, but at least be there until the ambulance actually arrives. She's your friend.
Put her first. Because she's a friend. Right? Your motivation doesn't matter. The outcome doesn't matter. You have the rest of eternity to deal with those abstracts, AFTERWARDS. If she needs you right now, then just focus on being there.
Call me simplistic, but those are the rules I've always played by, and my conscience is clear even if my bank balance and my mental health record have taken some hits.
_________________
You can't be proud of being Neurodivergent, because it isn't something you've done: you can only be proud of not being ashamed. (paraphrasing Quentin Crisp)