My role in life seems to be to listen to others. It's something that comes naturally to me. I believe everyone goes through difficult times in their lives, and we can all help each other by gentle, attentive, empathetic, and supportive listening. I have those who listen to me, and I love listening to others, even when a person is in pain. It's the way I give back to the world. Paradoxically, I receive when I give by listening.

In my own work, I listen to others and also help others to listen to each other. It's an art and a skill. I have advanced degrees in the field of Education and have had a full year of coursework in clinical psychology. However, when I listen, I do not use my academic knowledge; I use my heart. I am not diagnosing or trying to solve a person's problem. I'm just listening, affirming, mirroring, and helping them to express their feelings and thoughts. I also have a certificate in spiritual direction, which is a Christian practice of listening. I listen to people of all faiths or those who don't have faith. I do not believe in trying to make a person have faith unless we define faith as hope. Even then, we can't make a person have hope; we can only listen while a person struggles to find hope. Every life is precious, and every lens through which we view life is valuable.