My sister asked me to write her a poem. When I think of her, I think of all the times we sat down, side-by-side and just talked.  She is, without a doubt, the best listener I know.  She has a way of making you feel like nothing matters more than that conversation and what you have to say.  It is a gift.  Most people I know either want to “fix” what’s wrong or they have an overwhelming need to change the topic and talk about themselves.  My sister always knows just what to say in order to help me reflect on what really matters to me.  And, as the poem says, it helps me to clarify my own thinking and it heals my heart. I think that there is no greater gift that you can give someone than to just listen…really listen… to what they have to say.

Sit Beside Me
By Krista Longeway

Sit beside me for a while
And we’ll talk as the as the cool wind blows;
Of hopes and dreams and future plans
And things that no one else knows.

Sit beside me for a while
And we’ll share of our deepest thoughts;
For who understands the way you do
The battles that I have fought.

Sit beside me for a while
And I’ll lend a listening ear;
For, at times, we all need to share 
Of the things we hold most dear.

Sit beside me for a while
And we will talk again one day;
For it clears my mind and heals my heart
And it takes the pain away.