Two Ears

I have never been the kind of person who "talks too much."  In fact, I probably come off as the "quiet type," when I'm introduced to someone new.  I think I've been that way my whole life.  I would get called on in class because teachers assumed I wasn't paying attention, only to answer their question immediately without skipping a beat.

In groups of large people or social situations, I will not be the first to speak up or the first to tell jokes.  I will be the person blending in to the crowd.  The one whose face you may recognize but realize you haven't spoken to yet.

I am a person who speaks with intention but most of the time I prefer to listen.  Have you ever had a conversation with someone and as you were speaking you could tell they didn't hear a word you said but rather were thinking of what they wanted to say?  I am the complete opposite.  When you speak I will listen.... and listen. 

I realized how important this quality is recently after making funeral arrangements.  Here's the thing, a lot of people in this world just really need someone to talk to.  Every family that walks into the funeral home has a story.  They need to tell their story.  I listened for two hours after making funeral arrangements to someone talk, and everything she expressed she needed to say.  She needed to tell her story and her husband's story.  How he fell ill and everything that happened thereafter.  It was the beginning of her grief process but also a way for me to understand who she was and who he was; what they had been through together.

I strongly believe if you want to make a difference in someone's life, just take the time to actually listen to what they have to say.