wounded healers

" I will soothe you and heal you,

I will bring you roses.

I too have been covered with thorns. "

- RUMI

___________________________________

it is difficult

if not impossible

to be a healer

unless one in some way has been wounded themselves

those who have not yet tasted

pain

and failure

who have not yet felt the pangs of despair

or gazed hopelessly into the future

those born too rich, too beautiful,

so often find it impossible

to find the ability to be truly present

truly compassionate

instead there is an impatience

driven by success

and a belief

that the answer is held

within one’s hand

and needs merely be dispensed

to those who were simply too weak

too flawed

to have grasped it before

I remember when I was a young pastor

and had all the answers

O, how liberally I bestowed my “solutions”

and then my life fell apart

success turned into failure

prominence turned into banishment and exclusion

then and only then

(and even then with difficulty, for I was still

 all too wise in my own regard)

was I able to let go of answers

and grab hold of empathy and compassion

only then could I let go of being “above”,

 and find the power of being with

only then did I stop speaking

stop propounding

and start listening

and start being present

with love and compassion

healing happens

when in our hearts the words echo

me too