The Distance Between Words and Care

I know how you feel. We can talk about anything. I’m here for you. We hear these phrases every day. Yet, people let others down every day. Liar, liar but your pants aren’t on fire.

I know how you feel. When people say this, they are showing empathy. 75% of people that say this really care about a person’s feelings. Take death for instance. Someone is feeling down about losing their loved one. They have a friend who shares the same emotions about losing their loved one.

But that other 25% goes overboard. Most of the time, these people are older. “I remember when John passed away. He was such a good person. Everybody loved him and we all miss him.” Mind you, John may have died 20 years ago. How is this helping that person? Their loved one may have just passed away.

We can talk about anything. If this was a category question on Family Feud, it would probably come in at number 2. Why? You cant talk about anything with some people. Some people should work for WBTV. Their conversation should start, “Breaking news” and then they say what they need to say. Because they act like somebody’s business is breaking news.

I’m here for you. Many people quote this. But actions speak louder than words. If you tell a person that you are there for them, stick to your word. Don’t play the, “dang, he or she is calling me, but I’m not gonna answer” game. But when you wanna talk, don’t call that same he or she and expect them to be there for you. It’s not a one-sided situation. Friendship is not a two-way street and phones work both ways.

People always say that they are there for somebody until the mess hits the fan. What do I mean? When that person loses everything, where does everybody go? About their business. It’s rare for people to have a heart and want to see others do well. Very rare.

We don’t like to see our friends and loved ones going through emotional pain. No matter what the circumstances may be, nobody likes to watch a friend go through something that hurts them to the core. My example was the loss of a loved one. You can help a friend by being their listening ear, calling to check on them every day (if they feel like talking).

If you tell someone we can talk about anything, make sure you are serious. People need other people to confide in. They need someone to be an active listener. Sometimes, listening is all it takes. The person may just want to get something off their chest to feel better.

If a person considers you their confidant, don’t pass judgment or tell them that the situation is their fault. It’s easy to say something is someone’s fault when you don’t know the whole story.

These concepts are the foundation of life. I know how you feel is our way to comfort a person who is experiencing emotional pain in some way. I’m here for you is our way to let a person know that we care. Actions speak louder than words. But I’m here for you is an action statement. You show a person that you are there for them in your own personal way.

We can talk about anything. You and that person share a bond. You should be the type of person that someone runs to when they want to talk about their private life.

To end my story, I wanna say this: These phrases combined are the foundation of life. Our purpose is to use them in a way that is wise.