I keep pace of his account the best I can, and although I am unable to fully comprehend every word, we establish a connection that transcends accents and vocabularies. The intensity with which he recalls his childhood and his family knows no bounds, and I reciprocate as best I can, consoling him with an open heart and mind, being an ear to which he can tell his story and unburden himself. I discover that, contrary to what I sought upon my arrival, there were no “magic words” that could be uttered to diffuse the slew of complex emotions brimming in the room; the earth does not exist in black and white, and neither do solutions. Rather, it was having the presence to be there and sincerely listen that proved instrumental in helping him attain the comfort that he
I keep pace of his account the best I can, and although I am unable to fully comprehend every word, we establish a connection that transcends accents and vocabularies. The intensity with which he recalls his childhood and his family knows no bounds, and I reciprocate as best I can, consoling him with an open heart and mind, being an ear to which he can tell his story and unburden himself. I discover that, contrary to what I sought upon my arrival, there were no “magic words” that could be uttered to diffuse the slew of complex emotions brimming in the room; the earth does not exist in black and white, and neither do solutions. Rather, it was having the presence to be there and sincerely listen that proved instrumental in helping him attain the comfort that he