Aunt June's Bad Luck

I'm reading another young adult novel by Jaclyn Moriarty; The Ghosts of Ashbury High.  I'm loving the book, although I was a bit confused when I first started reading.  I was lost, but now am found.   

I think Moriarty is my favorite writer right now....besides JK Rowling, of course!  I'm going to have to try and read all of Moriarty's books.  It might not be too difficult, because fortunately her stuff seems fairly easy to find in America.  That doesn't happen with all Australian authors.

Anyway, I love this passage from the book:

I have an Aunt June.  (Hey, Tim has an Aunt June too!).

Last  year she got cancer.  We were all so frightened and sad for her. Going through chemotherapy.   Turns out, it sucks. It seemed to work, however, phew. But then, not long after that, she got kidney stones. Those were even more painful than childbirth, she said, and that kills (I hear). Poor Aunt June! Anyway, then her washing machine malfunctioned and flooded the living room.  Poor Auntie June.  And then her car got stolen, and oh, for crying out loud, enough already.


Do you see what I mean?


I know it sounds harsh but when too many bad things happen to a person, it's just, like, I have to feel sorry for you again?!!  Couldn't you let someone else have a turn at bad luck for once?  Aren't you being a bit greedy with it? And well, could some of this be your own fault?  Are you taking care to avoid things like kidney stones and laundry floods?

I think that's so cute, and it reminds me of people I know.  I mean Aunt June reminds me of people I know.  They have SO many bad things happening to them. There's that famous question of why do bad things happen to good people?    Then you have to ask why do multiple bad things happen to one good person?   Are they a bad luck magnet?   Did they not think enough positive thoughts?   Did they break a mirror?  Step under a ladder?  Forget to forward a chain letter?   Some folks say God gives us only what we can handle. Maybe these unfortunate ones can handle a shitload!

Some of those who believe in reincarnation believe we choose our trials before we're born.  We choose the bad things that happen to us so we can learn from them during our lifetime.  Maybe these certain people are on the fast track for this lifetime? It could be like when you take extra courses in college one semester.  I think I did that once.  Usually I'd take fifteen hours like most people, but I think one semester I took eighteen. Maybe some souls are overachievers. Some of us might reluctantly choose to have three or four major problems through out our lifetime. Other folks go for that many problems every year.  

I don't know.  Maybe it's all meaningless and random like the atheists tend to believe.  Bad things just happen to happen to certain people.

It could be that.  It could be related to choices made in a between-life stage. It could be a curse.   Perhaps it can be cured with herbs and rhyming incantations.

I really have no idea why bad things happen to people. All I know is I much prefer good things happening to people. If they DID choose (in the between life) to have a difficult life, I hope they chose some happy happenings as well. Everyone deserves a break once in awhile.