UNNAMED

Is it really fair to tell members that we understand what they're going through ... that we can empathize with them? In a way, of course I do understand, tweak the grammar a bit here and there along with rephrasing the sentence a bit in your head, of course I understand what the sentences mean. In that sense, I do understand it. I understand the facts, the details, the meaning. But that's it ; nothing more than that. I cannot say I understand what it's like to be in such a situation .. I can't even wrap my head around the challenges that some of had to face. I cannot begin to put in words the amount of awe I feel towards them when they find the strength to share it. Sure I might have been in the "same" situation , but is it really the same? Just like a fingerprint, I feel that each person's situation is intrinsically unique... so the gist of it might be the same , but the little details accumulate and the feelings of that person along with his/her own personality make this experience/challenge UNIQUE to him/her. So no , I feel it's not fair for me to say I understand...because the blunt truth is no matter how old I am, or how much i've been through (even though i've been through quite a lot - every single eating disorder that exists, social anxiety, test anxiety, dropped out of school, verbal abuse, stigma, loneliness and losing every single friend) , I will never be able to understand or really empathize. I can sympathize but I can't empathize ... yes , my english teachers made it a point to stress the difference until it's imprinted in my brain. I can try and understand... but I won't say I do... because to me, that seems like I'm dimishing just how hard this is for you. Nobody else is going through exactly what you are going through. I like to tell people... even Superman couldn't do survive what you are surviving each minute of each day ( because I adapted it from the technique of asking yourself "what would superman eat" when you're trying to stick to a clean eating routine but find it hard to resist cravings) , so please , please , pretty please with a cherry on top , keep fighting... be stronger than Superman ; you deserve to keep fighting long enough to earn your cape... after all this , this can't be for nothing. So yes, I do like to encourage members, I do like to tell them how strong they are... does that sound like crap because I don't know them? Well , the truth is it's not crap, because we learn such intimate details during that 1 hour.. we see a side of them that nobody else gets to see, and they deserve more than fake empathy for that. So I'll give nothing but the truth. I'll try and understand... but really I can only just begin to imagine. So here... I won't walk in your shoes (because that'll just wear them out) , but I will hold your hand and walk beside you.