Cathartic Empathy

I while back, I wrote a blog piece about empathy.(It's Personal) I have been cursed blessed as an empath, and at times, get overwhelmed by the emotions of others. If I am especially close to people, I will experience what they are feeling, and often end up retreating to a quiet place, where these extreme emotions can pass.

One of my favorite retreats is a large Catholic church in the town next to where I live. It is a lovely place, and I can usually go there and rest for a while without any company but the slight scent of that morning's incense, and fresh flowers. Today, there were beautiful Easter lilies everywhere, and the blanket of white blooms and drapes of cloth filled the church with the light of hope and rebirth.

I was there to rest my throbbing brain, and pray for a dear person, who my friends and I managed to rescue from her own personal Hell in a far off place. After almost three months, this brilliant woman is safe and in the hands of medical professionals who hope to save her life and bring her back from the throes of near death.

She is strong and has fight left in her, but has suffered for many years. Feeling her pain and that of those who love her caught up with me today, and I became a weeping mess.

I had to take solace in the confines of this massive church, and consult with the Holy Spirit on letting go of sadness and pain, and finding the silver lining in the clouds of my dear friend's life.

I'm a lot better now, but it may take a day or two for me to feel like myself again. Empathy is an incredible gift, but requires a catharsis every now and then.

Pain penetrates. It hurts. It is exhausting.

In the end, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's what makes me a sensitive, loving person, and keeps me humble.

It's what makes me a child of love.