Journey of Hearts 

Poignant true words from the heart of a person, calling for help. These words help those of us in areas where "listening" is important, to remember why, and how important just being present with someone and listening can be.
In creating the illustration, I thought at first the image was a bit stark when I was creating it, but soon realized it was an image of how we appear, if we are not listening, or just going through the motions.
 

When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advise,
you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me and you being to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way,
you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problems,
you have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen!
All I asked was that you listen, not talk or do -- just hear me.

Advice is cheap: twenty cents will get you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same paper.
And I can do for myself. I am not helpless. Maybe discouraged and faltering, but not helpless.

When you do something for me that I can need to do for myself,

you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.
But when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational,
then I can quit trying to convince you and can get about the business of understanding what's behind this irrational feeling.
And when that's clear, the answers are obvious and I don't need advice.
Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what's behind them.
Perhaps that is why prayer works, sometimes for some people --
because God is mute and doesn't give advice or try to fix things.
He just listens and lets you work it out for yourself.

So please listen and just hear me.

And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn -- and I'll listen to you.

Author Unknown