Page 178 – The Bottle House

Debbie thought for a moment. “If I’m compassionate, it means I’m concerned about the difficulties another person is experiencing.”

“Good. Compassion is a first cousin of empathy. Now tell me how being concerned with another’s difficulties is a strength.”

“It means I’m not talking down to them but sitting beside them in their difficulties, so to speak. I’m also not comparing their situations with mine and determining the extent of their struggles.”

“Excellent thinking. You know, it’s interesting that compassion comes from the Latin word, compati, which means, ‘to suffer with.’