This recent editorial in the New York Times shares some wisdom from a family that has experienced tragedy and speaks to the importance of being present for someone who has experienced a death or other stressful life event.
David Brooks
New York Times
Jan. 20, 2014
“We have a tendency, especially in an achievement-oriented culture, to want to solve problems and repair brokenness — to propose, plan, fix, interpret, explain and solve. But what seems to be needed here is the art of presence — to perform tasks without trying to control or alter the elemental situation. Allow nature to take its course. Grant the sufferers the dignity of their own process. Let them define meaning. Sit simply through moments of pain and uncomfortable darkness. Be practical, mundane, simple and direct.”
