What is the Purpose of All of This? And by This, I Mean Life

Dear Dr. Trainwreck,

I have recently gone through a life change (a major breakup and move) and am having a hard time finding my footing. The close friends that I thought would be there for me disappeared shortly thereafter, and I’ve spent the better part of the last several months trying to nurture new friendships with people who are interesting and engaging. My question is: what is the purpose of all of this? And by this, I mean life. I’ve tried to live most of my life making choices that I wouldn’t regret on my deathbed—but I find myself now in a position where I’m wondering if that even matters. It feels like everyone is just making it up as they go along, and also that everyone is so lonely. How does one find or cultivate joy when everything seems inconsequential?

— Tumbleweed

Dear Tumbleweed,

How I wish there was some magical thing I could write to you, some optimistic, practical, feasible way forward, a comforting missive assuring you there is an order and purpose to it all. This I sadly cannot do, but I will address what I can without knowing specifics of your particular situation…

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