Listening to Someone Else’s Troubles can take away Yours

The other day I went to the Post Office to mail a gift to my mother in law. I was not doing well that morning as I felt very stressed and anxious. When I was called to the counter, I noticed the postal employee who was about to help me was drying her eyes and blowing her nose. I said to her, “It looks like your allergies are getting the best of you.” She answered, “No, my husband passed away two weeks ago and I’ve been crying a lot.” I then shared with her that I’d lost a son a year and a half ago. She then took hold of my hand and said, “The person may die, but the love lives on.” After we had shared a few more experiences about our respective situations, I got her name from her name badge and told her that I would pray for her. She asked me my name and said she’d do the same. At this point, I had tears running down my cheeks and felt a huge lump in my throat. At the same time, I could feel all my stress and anxiety lifting from my body. As I was about to leave, she smiled and said, “Thanks for sharing Ross.” Tears continued to run down my cheeks all the way to Sprouts Farmers Market which was my next stop, but my stress and anxiety were gone. I had taken the time to listen to someone else’s troubles and, as a result, mine had disappeared.