Love Each Other

Today somebody said “I’m here for you.” Such simple words that are filled with love, and hope, and prayer. I’ve heard these words before – from friends, from family. I’ve said the same thing to others. But, today it was different. These words came from someone whose own heart was aching. She took time from her day to listen to my troubles. Everyone should have a friend this dear. For those few moments I spent with her, I was first in her heart and on her mind. I know she is filled with hurt and questions of her own, yet none of that was part of our time together. She did not offer answers. She did not compare my life to hers. She listened….really listened. We never touched yet I felt like I’d received a comforting hug.

The next time I tell someone “I’m here for you” I’ll take a moment to really think about those words. Do I really mean this? Am I really here for that person at this moment? Can I put aside my grocery list, and my in-box, and the dinner debate to really be there for someone else? We are told over and over to take care of ourselves because no one else will. But this has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we focus on ourselves, the less desirable it is for others to be near us and the more we shut them out. If we can take the time to truly care about someone else first, before ourselves, we become so much more open to the world. Suddenly we are cared for more than we ever imagined.

So I say “Thank you” to my friend today – for listening, for caring, for reminding me what it means to love each other.

02/22/2010