A "through the looking-glass" reply to the article The White Paint Chronicles (#0002), "Friday Friendlies".
“And [Job’s comforters] sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” (The Book of Job, Chapter 2, verse 13 - English Standard Version)
What do you do when someone you care about is in pain? When by their silence, they scream... “Please, just leave me alone!!!”
Without a word, they send a message so loud it knocks you down. It removes all reason. It makes you want to walk away, want to forget, want to remember the past without the present. But the present is where the pain is... and they don’t want to share, even if there’s plenty to go around. So instead of just sitting in the dirt, surrounded by fools like some post-modern Job, they hide themselves from fools, and the words of comforters. They hide themselves... from you.
What do you do when their pain becomes your pain? When in your silence, you scream... “Please, just let me in!!!”
Without a word, you send a message so loud it sits you down. It gives you a reason not to walk away, not to forget, needing to remember the past in the present. Because the past is really where the pain is, and you’ve been there, but they won’t let you share... because they are smarter than that. Smart enough to not give you the chance to speak, for fear that your words, no matter how wise, might just make the pain hurt worse. Because that’s what words... the stupid, best-intentioned words of comforters, most often do... they hurt.
But because of the past that they live in the present, they can’t hear, in your silence, that all you want to do is sit with them... in the dirt.
In the silence.
“And [Job’s comforters] sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” (The Book of Job, Chapter 2, verse 13 - English Standard Version)
What do you do when someone you care about is in pain? When by their silence, they scream... “Please, just leave me alone!!!”
Without a word, they send a message so loud it knocks you down. It removes all reason. It makes you want to walk away, want to forget, want to remember the past without the present. But the present is where the pain is... and they don’t want to share, even if there’s plenty to go around. So instead of just sitting in the dirt, surrounded by fools like some post-modern Job, they hide themselves from fools, and the words of comforters. They hide themselves... from you.
What do you do when their pain becomes your pain? When in your silence, you scream... “Please, just let me in!!!”
Without a word, you send a message so loud it sits you down. It gives you a reason not to walk away, not to forget, needing to remember the past in the present. Because the past is really where the pain is, and you’ve been there, but they won’t let you share... because they are smarter than that. Smart enough to not give you the chance to speak, for fear that your words, no matter how wise, might just make the pain hurt worse. Because that’s what words... the stupid, best-intentioned words of comforters, most often do... they hurt.
But because of the past that they live in the present, they can’t hear, in your silence, that all you want to do is sit with them... in the dirt.
In the silence.
Copyright © 2011 Bill Friday
That made me cry, to many truths to list
ReplyDeleteGive them a hug without words?
ReplyDeleteSo true, Bill. Tough to be on either side.
ReplyDelete