"Sainthood emerges when you can listen to someone's tale of woe and not respond with a description of your own."--Andrew V. Mason, MD
I cringe when I think how many times a friend has confided in me a problem she is undergoing and I immediately, sometimes before she is even finished, tell my own greater tale of woe. Why must I "one-up" my friend that way?
When someone tells us of a problem or difficulty she is having, it is likely she doesn't want to hear our own problems. She wants someone to listen. That's all. Just listen.
Perhaps this is part of the reason why psychiatry and counseling are so much in demand: we all want someone to listen to us, even if that person is paid to do so.
So, for today, I am grateful for those who listen.
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