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empathy - ( noun) - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another sympathy - ( noun) - feelings of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune Why do I share the definitions of empathy and sympathy? Well, because they are often confused, but they are very different things. I received a lot of sympathy relative to my accident, my injuries, and my continuing recovery. People have felt bad that I have gone through what I have gone through, and as a result, a lot of people have lent a hand, a kind word, and a kind thought. For all of that, I am appreciative.   However, empathy is more difficult. Empathy means you have to put yourself in the shoes of another. It means you have to try to understand things from a perspective that is not your own. It takes work to have empathy. And, in some instances, it is almost impossible. While empathy is more difficult, it is also more important. In order to have any successful relationships, you need to be able to have...

My kids have a lot of stuff. I'm not going to pretend they don't. They have more than the average child, and for that matter, I have more than the average person too. We are fortunate. I understand that. Even though I have tried to consciously practice creating memories for my children over purchasing more things, it has become more important in my mind since the accident. Perhaps that is because I truly understand how valuable life is now - in a way that I couldn't have possibly understood before. I want my children to understand that accumulating items doesn't create a good life - doing interesting things and spending time with interesting and loving people does. Does that mean that I won't occasionally give in to the "I wants?" No, I am sure that I will. To be honest, sometimes it's just easier than always trying to make a case for why things aren't that important. And, to be honest again, sometimes I want things too - and sometimes, I get ...

20 years ago, I graduated from high school. A few weeks ago, I had my 20th high school reunion. How did 20 years pass so quickly? I can remember like it was just yesterday my equal parts excitement and anxiety over the next chapter in my life and what it would mean to the friendships I had worked so hard to forge over those previous years. Once again, I was faced with equal parts excitement and anxiety - this time not over the next chapter, but rather over what it would be like seeing some of my fellow high schoolers again. I have been incredibly lucky. There are a few people from my high school class (in fact, some from before that), that I remain in close contact with, seeing them as much as once a month,. There are more people that I've seen here and there over the years. Then, there are those that I haven't seen since our last reunion, five years ago. And still more, that I haven't seen since I left for college. How have we changed? Well, we've aged (we are ...