Some Saturday Soul Food: Henri J M Nouwen

Bonjour mes amies! It's a squally, rain-soaked night in Old Hobart Town tonight. It follows a blustery day which sometimes saw the ball in Joshie's soccer match blown off-course, rather than kicked ☺. In between the rain showers, I managed to harvest the last of our enormous potato crop. It was such sweet satisfaction to discover those golden orbs lying under the surface. Crispy roast potatoes are definitely on tomorrow night's menu! We also bought Miss India some new Mary Jane shoes (in pink, of course) and attended a family do. Now Mr PB's at his night job, the pixies are snugly tucked up asleep and I have some precious peace. 

Source

For this week's soul food, I've chosen the words of Henri J M  Nouwen, a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer, who lived between 1932 and 1996. I'm intrigued by him as a fellow depression sufferer. I really feel that those life experiences imbued him with a deep richness of awareness of what it is like to be truly human.
I know that my experience of living with depression has left me agreeing with every single word here.
I've also chosen to share these words as there are some of you Planetarians out there, who are very precious to me, who are currently experiencing your own battles with the black dog. I dearly wish I could be be there to comfort you and hold your hands.
For the moment, though, these words will have to suffice. I hope they provide you with some comfort.

When we honestly ask ourselves which people in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. 

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. 

Henri J M  Nouwen

So, my friends, a penny for your thoughts! Do share. Do you have any, or many, friends like this? I count myself blessed to have a number, including some of you gorgeous souls - remember this post? I sincerely hope you all have at least one such caring soul in your lives.