In the past few days I have been confronted with other people's pain; one a stranger, another a friend. Both are women who have lost their way. Both are suffering financially. Both feel utterly alone in this world even though they have friends and children who love them dearly. The pain is palpable. It vibrates off both women with virtual SOS signs popping all around them. The sadness and despair is so deep I felt drawn to the edge with them. One I listened to while standing in a thrift store, and then talked to on the phone the next day. The other was beyond my help.
Now I sit with this pain and know not what to do with it. It presses on my heart and causes tears to spontaneously fall. The unanswerable questions flow through my mind. They do no good. I can't "fix" either of them. All I can do is be present and listen. I can be open so that others, strangers in thrift stores, feel the safe harbor. I can be at the other end of the phone. I can remind my friends and loved ones that they are loved.
So please know, that if you are reading this, you must have a special place in my heart. Know that there is someone in this world who cares. Know that you are loved.
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