Not all those who hear can listen.

You know, there are so many people in the world who are always happy to share your happy moments with you. You can tell them the good news and can be assured of a smile in return, a pat on the back, even shared laughter. In fact, it is heartening to know how many people feel good for you, care for your joy and are ready to become a part of it.

But I realized that there are not really that many people in the world that you can have a major melt-down with. Those days when you want to rant at the world, bawl your heart out or just crib endlessly, till even you are irritated with yourself. Those days when you are feeling incredibly vulnerable, when even a glance could hurt you really bad. When you feel like you shall never succeed at anything or that you have hit the absolute pits. How many people in the world do you know that you can be your worst self with? People you can share your worst fears with? Most importantly, how many people who will listen, and listen well, and then love you just as much the next morning because, one awful day does not make you an awful person? And then I realized that these people must be simply awesome individuals. I mean, it must take someone special and strong indeed to listen to and see another person at his or her worst, lowest, crabbiest phase and then not judge them for having been that weak. I am lucky enough to have always had such wonderful people in my life. People who listened, because, more often than not, that’s all you need. You don’t need answers or advice or solutions. You can eventually fix your own problems, but it is the venting for which you need an audience. A silent audience, a receptive audience. A sympathetic, non-critical audience. Having put up my share of the dramatic my-life-is-a-tragedy performances, I hope to learn to be that kind of audience, some day. It shall be good to sit back and learn to listen kindly. It shall be good to learn to be silent and wise. Some day. Some lifetime.