On Heartbreak

I’ve always been the person that people come to for advice.

I think that I’m a good listener, that I’m not judgmental. I’ve been in pain before, so I have a pretty good idea of what heartbreak feels like. Or so I thought. There’s a huge difference between remembering pain and experiencing pain.

I can’t say that I’ve been enjoying this experience. But it’s been … useful … to remember — to experience heartbreak again. To become reacquainted with the insecurities and fears coiled at the center of my heart. To come face to face with the sense of helplessness. To come to the place where knowledge and reason have no purchase. To wonder that such a tawdry thing could hurt so much.

I’d like to think that I’ll be a better listener when this is over.