Acceptance

There is so much power in acceptance...we can easily forget this.

Just being present and listening with an open heart can be all that is needed to alleviate someone's pain and suffering. Telling someone it is ok to feel the way they do can really work miracles.

You don't need to solve their problems for them, explain, rationalise, reason their feelings away or be annoyingly positive and optimistic in the face of difficulty.

Empathy can be as basic as a hand on your arm, a smile, a look, a nod...no words need to be spoken at all. Sometimes less really is more.