We’ve all been there-we ask a routine question and someone refuses to play the social game.
We say, “How are you?” and they answer honestly instead of with the obligatory, “I’m fine. You?”
Suddenly the encounter has taken an unexpected turn.
“Oh, no! I don’t know what to say,” you think.
Read the rest here: How To Respond When Someone Shares Their Pain
Author: Melanie
I am a shepherd, wife and mother of four amazing children, three that walk the earth with me and one who lives with Jesus. This is a record of my grief journey and a look into the life I didn't choose. If you are interested in joining a community of bereaved parents leaning on the promises of God in Christ, please like the public Facebook page, "Heartache and Hope: Life After Losing a Child" and join the conversation.
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thelifeididntchoose 
This is a great post. I recently had a similar conversation with a friend who is going through a difficult situation. We both have seen how our individual, and very different, pain paths have made us more aware of others who are hurting and more able to empathize. It’s listening and acknowledging another’s pain, giving them a safe place to open up their heart, then keeping that confidence to ourselves. Bearing one another’s burden and encouraging one another. I don’t know that I understood the depth of that process until my son’s cancer and passing, and my dad’s alzheimers and passing. Thank you for sharing.
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