But wait, that's not all Christine writes about! Her story Please... 'Really' Listen describes her time spent as a volunteer Telephone Crisis Counselor, Listening...Really Listening to callers who were feeling desperate, feeling needy, finding themselves in so much solitary pain, frightened and vulnerable, and helping them by listening with all her heart and soul.
As a trainee, she was first reminded that humans are born with two ears and one mouth - an indication maybe that we should listen twice as much as we talk? Sometimes a caring voice on a 24-hour helpline presenting “an empathetic ear always ready to REALLY LISTEN” is all that stands between the caller and 'disaster'.
cdcraftee has filled this story with soothing, peaceful photographs, and calming words such as “When you listen with your heart... There's a change of view - from Grey to Blue” as she shares a variety of 'crisis' stories with good endings because someone was there to LISTEN.
She ends with “LISTEN.... and you just may start a brand new day for someone.”
With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing, because listening to your brothers or sisters until they have said the last words in their hearts is healing and consoling.
—Catherine de Hueck Doherty
Image Credit: Learn To Listen by mindprint9
Pat, that's a great first review. ...If we had more empathy in the world, what a much better place it would be. The folks behind the crisis phones are true heroes.
ReplyDeleteI loved this lens! What an appropriate choice for your first (and wonderful) review. If the world as a whole listened more than we talked, we might be in a very different and better place.
ReplyDeleteHats off to a great review my elf!
I was thinking the same as Mimi. How many lives have been saved by those phone counselors. Beautifully written lens and review.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine manning a crisis hotline and my hat is off to all who do. Listening is so important and this is a well-written review of a very worthwhile lens.
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