A language called compassion and empathy

   The other day I was rescued by a great friend asking me to go on a walk. If you know anything about me...the answer was YES I would LOVE to go on a walk...enjoy the sunshine...and chat. Especially when I have had a REALLY cruddy day and had spent the hour prior crying my eyes out. On our walk...her and I talked a lot. Well, in all honesty.... I vented a lot and she listened and comforted. :)
   Well, we got on the topic of compassion and empathy. Just for those English nerds that love having the definitions (like myself) Compassion-- sympathetic concern for the suffering or misfortunes of others. Empathy-- the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
    After my venting and crying my friend told me that she thought that the ability to have compassion and empathy is like another language. Many people don't know how to speak that language. We then talked about how when we are open in our suffering we allow others the opportunity to show compassion and empathy to us and as we allow it and they show forth this love we strengthen a relationship and become closer. I believe you become closer to another person through suffering than in any other way possible.
    So..... why can some speak this language and others seemingly can't?
    The conclusion I have come to is that as we suffer and deal with our own trials, they will change us and help us to learn to be compassionate and empathetic----IF WE LET THEM. It's not automatic.  I believe that no one is naturally great at this...some may have it better than others but ones own suffering is the greatest teacher of this.
      Let me illustrate through an experience I had: growing up my sister just older than me and I were never really close. She is 2 years older than me and we were just very different people. Well, several years ago she was pregnant with what would have been her 5 child. It was a boy and she was pretty far along...past the point of common miscarriage. Well, I remember my mom calling me to notify us that Nyree had lost her baby. I was devastated! How could that happen? What do I do? What can I say? Maybe I won't call, because I am afraid I may say the wrong things. No....not calling is not the right answer. Well, I got up the nerve to call and figured all I could say was I'm sorry, because I didn't truly understand how she felt. How could I offer comfort when I had never even been able to get pregnant and so I couldn't possibly understand the loss. Well, I remember calling and I could barely choke out the words...I'm sorry and I love you because before I knew it I was balling on the phone. We cried together. I had no real words of comfort or any possible way to take away her hurt or pain (although I desperately wanted to) but I showed her I loved her and had compassion and empathy as I cried with her on the phone. It was then a couple years later that she had the opportunity to reciprocate that EXACT scenario. I had miraculously gotten pregnant and had lost my baby. Sure enough... she called and she offered me great advice (as she had been there) and she cried with me on the phone. I remember her telling me that the pain and suffering she felt when she lost her little one was awful, but she would go through it all again if it could take it away from me. Who would do that? I was and am still in awe of her. Then Stephen (her husband) asked to talk to Mike and gave Mike great support and even cried with him. Mike still remembers, as do I, the conversations he had with Stephen and the love he felt. The relationship had been strengthened as empathy, compassion and love had been shown and our relationship had been changed forever.
   I believe that to show empathy and compassion you don't need to know what the other person is going through exactly. But-- you can imagine what they are feeling and the hurt and suffering that they feel, you also feel with them---because you have known your own pain, suffering and misfortunes. You want to take that pain away, and even though you can't---you are willing to do all you can to help ease that burden.
    Well, this got me thinking even deeper. What is our Savior Jesus Christ's role? What was His sacrifice really for? Throughout my trials I have really dug deeper to know more about His atonement. I have come to know that His sacrifice for me and for you was not just for our sins. Yes, it definitely covered our sins and bridged the gap back to our Father in heaven, but did you know that it was also to feel what we feel. Did you catch that? FEEL WHAT WE FEEL. Everything that we go through in this life...He has felt before we did. Every pain, suffering, heartbreak, sickness, doubt, fear, confusion, betrayal. loneliness.....the list goes on. He felt it all before we do. Why? To be our greatest comforter and supporter. Who can offer better advice, comfort, love and security than someone who has been EXACTLY where we are at? That's why He did it. He knows that just as we strengthen our bonds with each other as we show forth compassion and empathy...as we turn to Him in our pain and sufferings that He will show forth compassion, empathy, and love and our relationship with Him can be forever changed as well. This is so important. In this---trials are vital! Trials have the power to change us and alter our relationships with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and our fellow man forever----if we allow them to.
   Be real and allow others to see your sufferings. Allow others to help and be there and show forth their love, compassion and empathy, as it has the power to change us all! Life is hard! We need each other. We are not helping ourselves or others by suffering in silence. Heavenly Father wants us to open up to him and each other. We can learn so much from one another and there is strength in numbers. This is why satan is so set on getting you alone. Don't allow it. There are others who can help you and in turn you can help. That is the reason we are all here anyway, right?
    For the first time in my life I am SO grateful for my trials. They have shaped me into the person that God needs me to be. They have helped me to learn to be compassionate and empathetic to others and have ultimately brought me so much closer to my loving Savior Jesus Christ. He is my best friend and he has never left my side. Even when things got real dark...he was carrying me though and helping to make me stronger everyday.
   Friends, I need you and (hopefully) you need me. Lets stick together and we can get through this crazy thing called life!
~Keira