Healing Conversations
What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say
Chapter One
When You Need a Friend
Please, Don't Ask Me
How I Am, Unless ...
Beginning a healing conversation
How are you?
We ask that question all the time. It's usually a polite little greeting, just
another way of saying hello. But we may not realize that this innocent-sounding
greeting can cause stress for people who are going through difficult
times. In these instances, it's important for us to be aware that when we ask
that question, we need to consider if we're really willing to hear whatever the
answer might be.
I had an unforgettable conversation with a woman whose mother was very
ill. Maria's father had died a few months earlier, and her mother was at the
point in her illness where she had signed a living will and was refusing life support.
Maria's brother didn't agree with this decision. Maria was spending her
days holding her brother's hand and comforting her mother. In the midst of
all this, people were asking her, "How are you?"
"What goes through your mind is this," Maria explained. "You really want
to know how I am? I'll tell y ... read full excerpt from Healing Conversations: What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say ebook
