“How are you?”
“Fine.” (usually the pleasantry ends here)
“Are you really fine?”
“Honestly? No.”
Sadness is dark, thick and sometimes invisible. When you fall into it, sadness can be a very difficult thing from which to pull up and out. And when you do, it clings, taking a while to wash away.
Sorrow is strong—it wraps around and squeezes the breath out of you so you are hardly able speak of it.
Though they may look fine, and though they may say, “Fine,” there is a high likelihood that they are not fine. They may be drowning or struggling to find strength to break free. And though it can be difficult and even awkward to do so, give them your ear. Move beyond the pleasantry and ask, “Are you really fine?”
You don’t have to “fix” a person. You may not even have to say anything. Simply listen as you put out your hand, pull them up and help them begin to brush away their sadness. There is great power and beauty in genuine concern. You never know when you may fall face first into sticky sadness or be crushed by sorrow and need to hear someone else ask, “Are you really fine?”
Please share this with others