“A world in which someone was prepared to listen to another’s distress seemed to her one in which it was worthwhile to live” 1
Wow, when we look at how our world and society functions today, it revolves around a lot of constant busyness and chaos. We may not even realize how easy it is to forget the most simple things in life.
This has become normal within our society, there are so many distractions at all times. How hard has it become to put aside distractions and give our full attentive heart to another person? We can see that there is a disconnect between people as the result of so many factors and I am sure you can think of some distractions you may struggle with, so I am not going to list them.
Let’s read this quote again. “A world in which someone was prepared to listen to another’s distress seemed to her one in which it was worthwhile to live.”
This is referenced from the article attached below (it is worth a read!). This is the reason a woman gave for choosing not to end her life. In summary, a woman had made a phone call in the middle of the night and the person on the other end answered, listened to her, helped talk her through depression, and gave her reasons to keep living. But none of the reasons he listed for her, were the reason why she chose to keep living. She chose to keep living because he answered the phone and just was willing to listen to her amidst her distress. This individual was Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and and former prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Viktor Frankl describes his experience in his famous book Man’s Search for Meaning.
What captured this woman in need who one night called Mr Frankl is a familiar experience, a human experience of need, and seeking help, a call in distress encounters another who is willing to care and take time to listen and “be with” the other. This is the same experience that we share and can relate with here at Compassionate Community Care and is the exact reason for having established our helpline, 1-855-675-8749, for this reason: to be with, listen, and care for those who call.
At CCC, we are equipped and do our best to provide help and resources for any situation or circumstance someone may be reaching out for. Often when the person on the other end of the line makes the call, it can be as simple as just answering and listening. When you are being a person to share the weight that seems impossible for another to carry, it is not as heavy.
The helpline has been created for those who don’t know who else to turn to or for those who need extra support, and we are more than happy to help with any situation! We can all learn from this example of Viktor Frankl, and become more aware of and recognize what can make us distracted, and instead, drop everything and tune into the person and what they are saying. We can learn to hear beyond our ears and listen with our hearts; to better connect with others, heart to heart.
Have you ever experienced this kind of grace? How can you better listen to those around you? I challenge you to reflect on these questions and become aware of the things that separate us, because once we know where we fall short, we can make better efforts to fill the gaps and become better connected again.
1 Quote above from The Rabbi Sacks Legacy. Listening is the greatest gift we can give to a troubled soul. (2002 December 14). Retrieved on March 16, 2023, from https://www.rabbisacks.org/archive/listening-is-the-greatest-gift-we-can-give-to-a-troubled-soul/