Have you ever tried to tell a friend about something difficult and they responded by wanting to fix it for you? You know that they mean well, but it’s just not what you are looking for. Instead of feeling more connected and feeling better understood, you may actually feel more alone.
“I don’t want you to fix it!” you might say. “I just want you to listen to me!”
I wanted to share a wonderful (and short) video by author and storyteller, Brené Brown, about the difference between sympathy and empathy. In the end, you’ll see that she talks about just the situation I described above.
When I’ve been in periods of grief, I’ve noticed that some friends stay away because they don’t know what to say. But it is the mere act of reaching out that makes the difference. I love the idea that the best thing we can do to show love is just simply to be there.