Stay with Me

Sometimes when my son experiences moments of personal turmoil and anguish, all I want to do is take away his pain and discomfort. While that is one method of approaching a problem, it's also worth noting the value in making room for discomfort, to allow him the full breadth of his feelings to develop and run their course.

When I jump immediately to action, the signal I'm sending is to be afraid of his discomfort, to change, avoid, or suppress it as quickly as possible. I'm sending a signal that there's not enough room in the world for his experience, when more often than not, I think there is. And there is a chance to be connected with another person through their pain and suffering, which is why compassion is not the cessation of pain, but rather to ability to accompany someone else in said pain.