Quote of the Week


"If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.



LISTENING
Posted by:Ken Sutton--Sunday, November 30, 2008

"...I have a tendency to talk too much; which turns my daughter off.
But that night, I vowed I would keep my mouth shut, not judge her, criticize her, or inject my comments. Only when she asked for my opinion did I give it to her. I just listened."

click the READ MORE link to read the rest of this mother's story.


LISTENING

My daughter has been an addict since she was 13. She’s been in recovery now for 9 months, living away from home and doing very well.

One evening after not hearing from her for a while, she phoned me. She had been going through some tough times and wanted to come home and stay overnight. She wanted me to hold her and watch a move like the old times. So I picked her up and brought her home.

That night she talked, we cried, we laughed, and I held her. It was like giving birth to her all over again. I hadn’t felt so much pleasure with her in a long, long time.

I have a tendency to talk too much; which turns my daughter off. But that night, I vowed I would keep my mouth shut, not judge her, criticize her, or inject my comments. Only when she asked for my opinion did I give it to her. I just listened.

Sometimes listening can be more powerful than anything. It’s surprising how much better I got to know and understand my daughter. The gap that was beginning to form between us had gone away. BECAUSE I LISTENED.

It was a learning experience for me. There are times when it’s necessary to listen. That night was one of those times. Listening was the best help I could have given her.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Easier said than done- Congratulations on capturing a precious moment with your daughter. I think it was Billy Joel who sang, "leave a tender moment alone."

Listening is an act of love.

Credits

This layout (edited by Ken) made by and copyright cmbs.