I get weekly quotes from iHearts143Quotes to help me understand life. This one particularly got my attention. It might seem strange to some but I have often said that I am a better person because of my deafness. What I mean by that is that through the challenges I have faced because of my deafness has made me much more aware of those who struggle in life. My empathy factor went up several orders of magnitude because of my deafness.
I have come to realize that my inflictions and afflictions (ha) add to the quality of my life. I was poor growing up but didn’t really know it. But because I was poor I have more empathy for those who struggle to keep their head above water.
We all face wounds in our lives and if we turn off the self-pity they produce and try to learn something from them we are better, wiser as a result.
RJ's Corner 
This is probably one of your best posts. Totally agree. While not exactly the same my son works as a bartender/ food service in Japan and his experiences give me a much better insight into what it is like to be an immigrant and a low wage worker in this world. I also have a mixed race granddaughter who is Japanese and Caucasian.
Nothing gives us more empathy than to walk in another’s shoes even vicariously.
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Thanks for the compliment Bob. I think at some level all of us have a degree of empathy but when it is nourished by our wounds it comes more into focus and intensity.
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