When a Daughter Helps her Mother Understand!

Second grader Jessica arrived home one hour late from school. Her mother was furious and she told her daughter so in no uncertain terms. She did not even give Jessica a chance to explain.

After talking at Jessica for what seemed an eternity, her mother finally stopped and asked Jessica,  “By the way, why are you so late?”   The teary eyed second grader replied,  “Because  I had to help a girl who was in trouble.” Her mother asked, “What did you do to help her?”  Jessica replied, “I just sat down next to her, and helped her to cry.”

The mother was shocked at her daughter’s simple response and hugged her for caring about her friend. Indeed, Jessica had the right idea. She knew she couldn’t fix what was hurting in her friend, but Jessica did the next best thing, she listened to her!

Simply listening to someone with care shows compassion. Many times people can experience pain like Jessica’s friend without having anyone to listen to them in a thoughtful, empathetic, and open-minded way.

How lucky was Jessica’s friend to have Jessica there to communicate by simply holding her hand and listening to her! Jessica felt her friend’s pain because she herself had experienced this same sadness. Jessica wanted to give her friend her undivided attention. She held her hand, looked into her eyes, and helped her to let her tears fall.  

The lesson Jessica teaches us today is how to be a compassionate presence for someone in need. God counts on everyone to help a neighbor find his or her way when they stumble or are lost. Today it was Jessica who held her hand and whispered, “You can do it. Get up and walk.” And she did.

Painting: Friendship, Igor Shulman, Artist