Words…

One of my closest friends has a dad that’s declining
He struggles to find his words now
I wanted to say something so comforting
But, I couldn’t find the right words
Another good friend, lost her mom this week
I have many childhood memories with her family
What can I say to a loss that large?
How do you find the language?
I am not aware of a dictionary for despair and disillusionment
When someone you love hurts, what do you say?
We always say,” we’re sorry” but is that enough?
Does that really convey compassion?
There just don’t seem to be adequate words
I can imagine how deep their grief is
The unfairness of illness
The disbelief of how this life goes
The distinction between, before and after
Words are how we communicate
With our spouses and partners
With our friends
With our family and yet I find myself at a loss for words, all the time, around what our world is going through
What our politics look like
How worried I am for the future and also how hopeful I am for our future
How I still think we will come out of this pandemic better and kinder and more grateful
I still have hope that the better versions of ourselves will emerge
Words have so much power
What we say matters
How we say it matters even more
So for anyone out there struggling
I empathize with you and I get it
Even when I don’t know what to say