Empathy

According to Google AI (Artificial Intelligence), the definition of the term empathy is:

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

This gift (i.e., empathy), in my opinion, is one that is spiritual in nature, goes well beyond or rather transcends the usual understanding one might typically possess. Much deeper.

Put another way (via Google AI, again), …

Empathy is the ability or practice of imagining or trying to deeply understand what someone else is feeling or what it’s like to be in their situation. Empathy is often described as the ability to feel what others are feeling as if you are feeling it yourself to feel empathy for someone is to Empathize.

Based on years and years of both personal observation as well as of others on my part, although most living beings or souls, including critters and so on (e.g., dogs as well as cats, per se) are capable of being empathic toward others; not all do, however, it can depend upon the depth of their relationship with each other, particularly if it’s in a mutual peer-support fashion.

The deeper and more mutual the relationship, then the deeper the sense of empathy is formed and can be expressed and shared between each other.

This can prove to be extremely beneficial to each party, especially during a crisis, yet doesn’t have to reach a crisis stage level either. It’s better if it doesn’t reach that level and goes farther upstream without producing hardship.

This can help in the process of healing and maintaining well-being.

As someone who has cancer within their lower colon, who is currently a hospice patient with six (6) months or less to live (though some have been known to live and survive longer), I’ve been benefiting greatly from the empathy received from my cat, Miss Cleo aka Nurse Cleo (Cleopatra; she has been great and often doesn’t take her eyes off of me, oftentimes laying on my lap while on the recliner or nearby me on the bed or otherwise where she can see me; she definitely knows that something is up in regard to my health and well-being), family members, friends, neighbors, housing authority staff members, hospice treatment team and others, including members of the local community (including those who I only know and communicate with online in one fashion or another: e.g., messaging and texting via Facebook and the like).

Believe it or not, this has proven to be very helpful.

People have been picking up and delivering various items on my behalf, cooking freshly ready to eat eggs as well as earlier this week, another pair of friends picking up and delivering an excellent breakfast as well as a half dozen dozen of the best donuts from a local restaurant. Just yesterday, someone else bought and brought me an awesome pair of compression socks that fit comfortably, fitting just below the knee to help with swelling in my legs and feet. Someone else had previously gifted me a package of three pairs of compression socks as well.  

As  mentioned before, this is a very caring community and I’m at peace with everything, including my prognosis, whatever that might be as well as how long I have left to live.

By the way, in case you might have missed it, read more about these and related matters (via my Green Mountain Meandering Matters blog, here).

Note: This missive is still a work-in-progress and might be edited as well as updated.

Stay tuned. …