Through her tears, she watched her son draw his first breath.
She was shivering from the cold, aching from the delivery and weary from the long journey. But as she gathered her baby to her breast and he looked into her eyes, she suddenly felt warm, free of pain and at peace.
“Oh, little one,” she whispered. “Did you do that?”
***********
Standing in the doorway of her home, she watched her son playing with other children on a hot and dusty afternoon.
“I think Joshua is an empath,” she said to her husband.
“A what?” he said.
“He seems to feel what other children are feeling.”
“Really?”
“Yes. This morning I saw him tend to a little boy who had fallen down. The boy was crying. Joshua helped him up, wiped his tears and gave him a hug.”
“Our son has a good heart.”
“He does,” she said. “But I think there’s more to it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think Joshua feels others’ emotions so deeply that he takes them on himself. This morning, after that boy walked away, Joshua stood in the spot where he’d fallen and ...”
She put her hand over her heart.
“And what?” he said, looking concerned.
“He shuddered.”
“Shuddered?”
“Yes, it was as if he was absorbing the boy’s pain. Then he looked up and lifted his hands.”
“What was he doing?”
“I think he was offering it up,” she said, “like a prayer.”
***********
Through her tears, she watched her son draw his last breath.
Her heart was broken, yet she did not despair because, from the day he was born, she had seen him take on suffering and somehow transform it.
She was shivering from the cold, aching from the delivery and weary from the long journey. But as she gathered her baby to her breast and he looked into her eyes, she suddenly felt warm, free of pain and at peace.
“Oh, little one,” she whispered. “Did you do that?”
***********
Standing in the doorway of her home, she watched her son playing with other children on a hot and dusty afternoon.
“I think Joshua is an empath,” she said to her husband.
“A what?” he said.
“He seems to feel what other children are feeling.”
“Really?”
“Yes. This morning I saw him tend to a little boy who had fallen down. The boy was crying. Joshua helped him up, wiped his tears and gave him a hug.”
“Our son has a good heart.”
“He does,” she said. “But I think there’s more to it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think Joshua feels others’ emotions so deeply that he takes them on himself. This morning, after that boy walked away, Joshua stood in the spot where he’d fallen and ...”
She put her hand over her heart.
“And what?” he said, looking concerned.
“He shuddered.”
“Shuddered?”
“Yes, it was as if he was absorbing the boy’s pain. Then he looked up and lifted his hands.”
“What was he doing?”
“I think he was offering it up,” she said, “like a prayer.”
***********
Through her tears, she watched her son draw his last breath.
Her heart was broken, yet she did not despair because, from the day he was born, she had seen him take on suffering and somehow transform it.
