I lost my first husband in a car accident. Several friends that we had in another state came to our home when they were notified of his death. We were sitting around, remembering some of the things he had said and done and there was a great deal of laughter, a lot of it coming from me. That was such a relief for me. Yes, he had passed away and I missed him so much, but the very fact that there was someone there who knew him, who loved him, and had so many funny stories to share was also very healing. I'm sure many people who were there that night thought I was terrible for laughing. I suppose in their minds I should have been sitting in sack cloth and ashes.
In the following weeks and months after his death, I smiled many, many times. I smiled because that is what was expected at that particular moment. However, I'm sure if you had really looked beyond the smile, you would have seen a very broken soul inside.
What you see on the outside is for everybody else. What is on the inside, nobody really knows or understands. There were several times that I literally went inside my closet, shut the door and sat and cried. Nobody ever saw those tears. Nobody ever saw that pain, but it was there.
I know nothing about these people other than what I have read on here, but I'm sure there is hurt, pain, and tears. We just don't see it.
As for the drugs and drinking, when people are addicted, they don't stop when something like this happens. They don't have the capability to stop. I am going out on a limb here and guessing that in fact, it probably increases under these circumstances.
. I admit that Ed Smart gave me the creeps and I was so sure he had something to do with Elizabeth's disappearance. 
uke: just at the mere thought.
