Empathy vs. Sympathy

If you know me, you know that my go-to mode in times of stress — for my friends, my family, and myself — is "problem solving mode." And solving problems is terrific! It's pragmatic and proactive. It's human nature to want to fix a problem, and to try to make someone feel better when something terrible happens — to take away our loved one's pain. 

But when there is a death, there are zero solutions that can "fix" that pain. We turn to words instead. And we struggle. What verbal antidote is there for grief? What can we say? The brutal truth is this: there are no magic words. 

This sweet little short reminds us that the greatest support we can give one another is not necessarily to fix the sad feelings, but to feel the sad feelings together. 

“Rarely can a response make something better. What makes something better is a connection.”