Empathy Woman! Squeeze Her and See Real Tears Fall from Her Eyes!

Many of you have been following the story of my friends Karen & Derek. They are doing better - the best under the circumstances I guess. Spending some time together. Taking turns with bad moments and good moments.

I have a hard time with pain brought to me by people close to me. Like really hard time. I empathize to the point where I'm physically drained and spent. And what is kicking my ass currently is the realization that I haven't had to exert much of this emotion for Liam yet. His first schoolyard ridiculing? His first major injury? His first heartbreak? All ahead.

I was speaking with my friend Jeff and joked that if I had a superpower it would be the Power of Empathy. I feel things so deeply it can set me off for a week. Katrina left me wasted for well over a week. The sudden death of my cousins' father... depressed. Karen and Derek...complete sadness. Weeping whenever I think of them both or discussing the situation.

Of course this also works to the opposite extreme. I get so happy and excited for others happiness and good fortune. My sister is getting a new kitchen and I'm so excited for her to have such a nice new thing! My friend Ang is pregnant and I feel almost as excited (maybe even more to an extent?) as when I got pregnant.

While my superpower can be a curse and a blessing I guess I have to take it as a blessing. Because I know there are many people out there who don't or can't feel things so deeply. That don't truly live in the moment.

And that is enough to make me cry.