“Empathy” Sometimes, I am so focused on what I am doing that | Follow the Data with Dr Frank

“Empathy”

Sometimes, I am so focused on what I am doing that I forget to consider the feelings of others. But I am working on it.

I poignantly learned this lesson about twenty-five years ago at a school faculty Christmas party. I had brought one-year old Nellie with me, all dressed up cute with bows in her hair.

At one point I needed to use the restroom, and so I handed Nellie to a fellow female faculty member. Who wouldn’t want to hold a cute, giggly, cooing little girl?

When I returned, the woman was white as a ghost, holding Nellie slightly apart from her. At first, I wondered if Nellie needed a diaper change.

As it turns out, unknown to me, the year prior my colleague had aborted her child that had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Ouch.

It’s almost as bad as congratulating a woman for being pregnant when she’s not. Most boys learn that humiliating lesson early. And yep, I’ve learned that one too.

My mother (may she rest in peace) often coached me in this regard. But it is one of those lessons I’ve had to learn the hard way.

I think people forgive me for my shortcomings and mistakes when they know my heart, but I’m still responsible to be considerate of others.

Empathy is a powerful thing, and nurturing it in ourselves makes us more like Jesus Christ:

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2)