Not Perfect

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to always know the right thing to say?  Wouldn’t it make life easier to always know the right to do?  The problem is we all have different needs, we all have different styles and we all cope with our challenges differently.

Instead of spending time beating ourselves up over what we could have said or done differently, a better use of time would be to think about what the other person needs.  A simple way to do that is to ask the person what we can do for them.

This isn’t always easy as most of us think about what we ourselves would want.  Sometimes words of encouragement are needed.  Sometimes a shoulder to cry on is required.  Sometimes allowing people space and time to heal, and sometimes just being there helps.

The next time you are faced with a situation where someone is in pain or needs a friend, try asking, “What can I do for you?”

Then stop and listen to what they are telling you.  Not everyone needs the same things.

Hopefully the people in our lives know how much we love them even if we fall short of what they needed from us.  After all, we are human no one is perfect.