In times of deep division, listening becomes a radical act. True healing flourishes where there is empathy: the willingness to enter into the experiences and emotions of others, even—especially—when they differ from our own.
When citizens, leaders, and communities commit to listening without judgment, they open the door to understanding and, ultimately, to forgiveness.
Empathy does not mean the erasure of differences or the minimization of pain. Rather, it is the recognition of our shared humanity. It is a conscious effort to see one another not as adversaries or abstractions, but as fellow travelers on a journey toward wholeness.
The small, daily acts of listening and compassion, multiplied across a nation, can begin to repair even the deepest rifts.
©️ 2025 Yvonne Wiggins
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