“Nothing is more important than empathy for another human being’s suffering. Nothing. Not a career, not wealth, not intelligence, certainly not status. We have to feel for one another if we’re going to survive with dignity.”

Audrey Hepburn 

Empathy, in healthy amounts, is a person’s greatest asset.  To be able to connect with a person on such a deep level is a skill that can profoundly improve human relationships, in my opinion.

My relationship with my  best friend, Rehana, has always been close. But when life threw me a curveball (that hit me square in the face), Rehana was able to empathise. Our friendship grew very close and strong through this experience. She was able to get it, really get it. It wasn’t just a token “I know, I understand”, it was an “I feel your pain”. That distinction was the catalyst that took us to the next level, where she moved from “hey Rey, this is what happened today”, “I tried this new lipstick shade”, “this guy is cute” to “this is who you are”, “you can work on this”, “I’m always here for you” and “I completely understand”. From a (relatively) superficial (yet extremely close) friendship, she became an integral part of me – a best friend, sister and soulmate. I mean that in a very raw and honest way, and not just token words that I’m throwing around.

That’s the power of empathy.