dessert of immediate satisfaction. Wholeheartedly, you agree. We process and we pack these emotions for another time. Together, our table of emotions becomes sturdier. This does not happen immediately as it is a course of action that requires patience and time. No longer is this table falling apart, it is soon filled with laughter and expressions that are heartfelt and light. Grief is a conversation that never disappears from our table. It is with us but it does not control us, as it transforms from an unpredictably shocking taste to one that is much less mild. There are times when heavy emotions must be expressed at the table. And although these emotions are painful, we sit with them, and together you and I take our time to swallow and digest and process and express. It could be that these emotions do not taste as wonderful as happiness or as delightful as the immense excitement that comes from seeing a dear friend after a long- awaited time. But these painful feelings have a purpose that is not always immediately defined. They could be our natural reactions or something that has been written for us to get through so that we are one day able to become the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps, getting through these emotions is what grants us the ability to be resilient and feel alive. Together, we are seated at the same table of emotions. Once flimsy, it is now a newly carved table that is strongly intact. Empathy has united us when we were barely surviving on cups of anxiety and bowls of worry that tasted like painful tears. Together, we have grown and eventually we have learned how to thrive. We set a new table that is meaningful; it is one that was put together by our renewed appreciation for life. Together, we lift each other up when life is unpredictable and hard to swallow. We grab the lemons and we make our mint lemonade. We find our contentment and we sprinkle the sweetness of it into our cups. You and I realize that our cups are always half full. This, on its own, is a reason to be grateful and smile. Together, we get through this. Together, empathy is a blessing that is meant to bring us close when we feel apart.
Chereen Shurafa is a community counselor and certified coach who holds a Master’s degree. She is the founder of Dear Chereen, a community-based,
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