Listening

My heart is breaking and continues to break. What is happening in our world and nation is devastating, but what makes the wound infinitely worse is that truths have been politicized. George Floyd’s death was tragic, inhumane, and epitomizes the reality of evil. Racism is real. How this has become a debate rather than a dialogue is mind-boggling.

​The current crisis has left me speechless. I have struggled to find the right words for a very wrong situation. We often deal with trauma, problems, and confusion with silence. In my own life, in my darkest hours, silence was the loudest from those I held most dear. I’ve learned this is not from a lack of care, but rather the inability to know what to say. Almost everything doesn’t seem like enough. BUT, I’ve also learned that being understood is what most people desire.
Many clients and friends have expressed the desire to do something. For some, it’s a peaceful protest; for others, it’s educating oneself on systemic racism. There are numerous ways to take action; but, one thing is critical —we must listen. Start the dialogue, pick up the phone, go to your neighbor, have the hard conversation. If you struggle to find the words, simply say, “I know you are hurting, I’m so sorry.” And, then, simply listen. David Augsburger stated, “Being listened to is so close to being loved, that most people can’t tell the difference.”

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