Thursday 18 October 2012

Empathy through Suffering

A reader wanted to know why I  chose to support Chang in his cancer journey. I would say that Chang had many supporters who helped him by lending him resources such as books, gave him financial support as well as provide a listening ear. There are actually many kind people out there. I believe blogging also helped him to keep focused and he said it was therapeutic.

Whenever he singled out a therapy, he would pass a copy of the writeups to his brother to read, digest and comment.  Chang liked to listen to various angles but he always had his own way of thinking. 

In the early days, he wanted to get the feedback of other cancer patients who had tried The Gerson Therapy but  could not find it.  And that spurred him to start the blog. This also sums up my reasons for offering him support. It was also from my past, difficult experiences that I understood the importance of support in times of difficulties. And I learned to be empathetic towards others. I would have done the same for any other friend.

The difficult experiences of our lives shape us and make us grow, not the easy times. It is much like polishing a rough diamond. It is very tough to get through but we gain so much strength, wisdom and insight from it. And from there, we are much better able to empathise with others' pain and suffering.

I think that there is a reason for everything but I suppose the important thing is to be able to learn from our experiences and use it to benefit our family, friends and society at large. Then, our suffering would not have been in vain....


7 comments:

  1. Excellent. I love this post. Comment everyone!
    Happy Posting!

    Val.

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  2. Dear CF,

    Thanks for sharing and keep your thoughts flowing in TheBodhiCircle.

    Evelyn

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  3. CF,

    Sometimes, though you don't seem to feel that way, only upon comparing yourself with others (in this case Chang a cancer patient)would one feel how fortunate one (if he / she is not sick)is. With little bit of understanding of self love from your blog minutes ago, I believe one would then naturally decide to value one's health (or the body or the mind) more,

    Rgds, kokpiew

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    1. Dear Kok Piew,

      Yes, certainly, we are more fortunate than we realise. Take care!

      CF

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  4. Hi CF,

    Thank you for continuing to communicating with us. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to do that, especially with your busy schedule. If ever you are too busy to post, just post a few sentences to let us know and we will understand. But I hope you will continue with this blog for years to come.

    I hope other readers will also post encouraging comments to give you moral support.

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    1. Dear Justin,

      Yes, I do have a rather busy schedule. I am appreciative of the readers here who take the time from their busy schedule to read as well as drop a few comments. It makes a difference. Thank you for your encouragement.

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  5. Dear Evelyn,
    Thank you for your support. And it is encouraging to know that you are still there!

    CF

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