Missing pieces
I listened as she spoke, not expecting what she was about to say. I could tell it was hard to share and I just tried to allow the space between us to be safe for her to give me what she needed to. A proud and strong woman, it was easy to tell that struggled to allow herself to be vulnerable in the moment. I allowed the shock of what she shared to wash over me and listened for the message she needed me to hear. I waded through my own fears that her experience was dragging to the surface. I barely suppressed the need to offer solutions to problems that had been horrifically resolved - though certainly not in her favor. Her request of me was, in total, easy to say yes to. The need for the request was brutal and heartbreaking. When we were done talking and resumed our day - getting back to the chaos that was our routine, I realized my heart was weeping. It was not my pain to have, but I felt it and felt it deeply. I breathed and quelled the pain in my heart to make it through