"Empathy is a choice and it's
a vulnerable choice. In order
to connect with you, I have to
connect with something in
myself that knows that feeling."
~Brené Brown
I've been pondering empathy of late.
I imagine for some it's, been there,
done that. Others, when listening
to your pain, truly make an effort
to understand.
For me, in my forty plus years of
teaching, I found empathy to be the
key to excellence in my field. Kids
appreciate being understood just as
much as adults do.
My issue was, and is, an inability
to separate myself from another's
pain. Many a night, during my
teaching years, I sobbed myself
to sleep. Still, I felt it better to
feel my pain than to be insensitive
to theirs.
I thought perhaps age would bring
about the ability to be empathic
and yet be able to step aside from
other's pain. Alas, it has yet to
happen for me. Maybe one day . . .
And maybe, it doesn't even matter!
Sharing each other's sadness and
sorrows, painful that they may be,
is exactly what is important!
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