Not Solvable

I met a guy who told me about a member of his family he described as a "little crazy." He told me of all the shenanigans that seemed typical of a person suffering from bipolar disorder (or whatever – I'm no expert).

Exasperated, he said through a heavy sigh that if the crazy guy would only do this or that, then the problem would be solved and the grief would end. But it seemed more likely to me that this problem is one for which a solution may not exist. Theirs may not be a problem per se, but a problematic and chronic condition. With this interpretation, the situation might be approached with a different frame of mind. The question is how to cope, rather than how to solve. And for some people, at some times, grief may never completely go away.