Anguish of soul

A beloved family member is rejected by his spouse who asks for a divorce.

A co-worker's wife hemorrhages and loses the baby only days before baby's due date.

A close friend receives a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Unemployment continues and a couple face losing their home to foreclosure.

Pain. Agony. Fear. Despair.

How is it even possible to give comfort to those who are facing crises like these?

Like minnows frightened by a shadow, my sympathetic eyes dart away from the anguish found in the eyes of the sufferer.

Words, although dredged with substance, feel empty and trite.

Cowardly, I feel bested in the presence of such pain.

Then I remember - this isn't about me, is it?

Sometimes there is no comfort that can be offered in a situation.

But listening, touching, sharing tears, sitting quietly in the presence of despair can lessen its power.

I can simply 'be' with deep compassion, true caring, and healing love.