Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Are there really that many?

In the grand scheme of things I live a pretty sheltered life. My circles have always involved friends from work, church, Christian small groups, college friends, a few professional organizations and neighbors. So while my circle of people aren't overwhelmed with the horrific and traumatic aspects of life, they all still have pain. Are there really that many different hurts for these groups of people to which we should be sensitive? I didn't really think so (as shared in the last post) but let's make a list:
(There are a lot of varieties and differences in sensitivities so I'm listing many separately that might often be grouped together.  For example, the way women and men deal with a particular situation can be vastly different.)

Wives going through infertility treatments
Husbands going through infertility treatments
Couples who miscarry
Wives who miscarry
Couples who have a still-born
Wives who have a still-born
Couples who can't have children (all treatments are finished and will not have biological children)
Husbands who can't have children (all treatments are finished and will not have biological children)
Wives who can't have children (all treatments are finished and will not have biological children)
Parents of couples who cannot have children (would-be grandparents)
Single men who want to find a wife and be married
Single women who want to find a man and be married
Couples who have special needs children
Couples who have terminally ill or very sick children
Women who have had an abortion
Men whose partner had an abortion
Men and women whose mother or father died when they were younger
Men and women whose mother of father died when they were older
Men and Women who were abused as a child
Men and women of divorced parents
Men and women whose parents, siblings, or family are not believers
Men whose wife cheated on him
Women whose husband cheated on her
Divorced Men
Divorced Women
Men fired from a job
Women fired from a job
Men who can't find a job
Women who can't find a job
Men with terminally ill parents
Women with terminally ill parents
Men whose father never showed them love
Men whose mother never showed them love
Women whose father never showed them love
Women whose mother never showed them love
Couples waiting through the adoption process
Husbands who abuse drugs or alcohol
Wives who abuse drugs or alcohol
Men and Women who are terminally ill
Men and Women who have chronic physical pain

And that's barely touching the surface! Put yourself in any one of these situations and you can understand how so many people are often hurt by our words, conversations and actions.

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