Getting What (Compassion) You Need In Your Relationship
The Power of Compassion in Shared Humanity
Why must we experience loss and pain before we learn to share in the burdens of others’ grief? Through the birth and struggles of illness with my first son, I discovered the profound truth that joy and sorrow are meant to be shared. While we may never fully understand another’s suffering, we can choose to love more deeply by expressing compassion for their circumstances.
The Illusion of Independence
Our society tells us that independence is the ultimate goal. But in reality, this has led to increasing isolation—communicating through screens, raising newborns to sleep alone in cribs, distancing ourselves from one another in ways both subtle and profound. Yet, we were created for connection. We are not meant to navigate life in solitude but in relationship with one another.
Radical Change Through Compassion
How do we build fulfilling relationships?
- Remember, we are not islands. John Donne, the 17th-century poet, wrote, “No man is an island… any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind… therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
- Recognize our interconnectedness. Martin Luther King Jr. echoed this truth, saying, “I cannot be who I am supposed to be until you are who you are supposed to be. And you cannot be who you are supposed to be until I am who I am supposed to be.”
- Acknowledge suffering around the world. Women in Afghanistan are denied education. Men in Africa fight wars against their own brothers. Homeless children in Haiti go without food and water. Their suffering is not separate from ours—it is part of our shared humanity.
The Call to Act
Compassion demands action.
- Step outside your comfort zone. You don’t have to travel far to find someone in need—opportunities to help exist in our own communities.
- Lend your hand and your heart. No act of kindness is too small. When we share in one another’s burdens, we lighten our own. Only then can we truly experience the fullness of joy together.
