SEEN. HEARD. ACKNOWLEDGED.
It Sucks!!!
Yep, you read it right. Sometimes, life just sucks. And you know what? It's perfectly okay to acknowledge that without trying to sugarcoat it or find a silver lining right away. Let's be real—when we're going through a tough time, the last thing we want is someone minimizing our feelings with a "look on the bright side" pep talk.
As a friend or family member, it can be tempting to jump in with advice or share a similar story of overcoming adversity. But what most of us truly crave in those moments is someone who will simply sit with us in the mess and say, "Yes, it does suck."
What I've learned is that people want to be SEEN, HEARD, and ACKNOWLEDGED.
Seeing someone means holding space for them. It's about recognizing that something isn't quite right and being there to weather the storm together.
Hearing someone allows space for raw emotions without rushing to offer solutions or spin things in a positive light. Imagine telling a child who fell off their bike and hurt their leg, "Well, at least it's not broken." It may come from a place of good intentions, but it misses the mark of truly understanding and empathizing with their pain.
Acknowledging someone's pain and validating their feelings doesn't mean we have to relate everything back to our own experiences. It's about seeing and hearing the other person for who they are, not projecting our own perspectives onto their situation.
Sit in the mess by acknowledging the suckiness and offer genuine support without trying to fix or gloss over the tough stuff. Because sometimes, the best thing we can do for each other is simply be there, saying, "I hear you. It sucks, and I'm here with you."
