Be There

I was not prepared to hear these words that day.

"My life is longer than that barrel, 
longer than the second it takes to pull that trigger and die.
I kept putting it down and picking it back up.
Every part of your life, every moment, is on that trigger.

"In that moment, you feel like you're underwater.
You don't feel numb, you feel empty.

"I have to step up for my nephew, 
he needs someone to teach him how to be a man.
I want to see the end of my life, to be on my deathbed 
with my great-grandchildren or some ****.
I want to be better than that, to be stronger. 
I am better than that.

"Thanks, man."

I never knew if I'd find myself there in that chair,
listening and trying to make sense of so much pain.
But I've thought about it, and thought about it long.

I always imagined it would be harder.

Hearing him, his story, was more than hard.
Seeing the agony in his eyes was heart-wrenching.
But being there, oh man, just being there -
that was the easiest thing I've ever done.

A hug, a hand on a shoulder,
a kind thought, an open ear;
they hold so much more power than the act alone.

Your word could be his world.

I've never been in the same dark hole,
but I've been closer than I admit to most.
I know what will always keep me safe from that.

Not everybody has that, and not always.

I understand that feeling as much as I can
without being on the other side of this story,
and many is the chord that his struck in me;
and too many are those who can't push past it.

When he was talking, I was just listening,
hearing him, but hearing something else too -
one voice, over and over, admonishing me:

'Your word could be his world.'

More friends of mine than he have seen terror,
have come to me with the things that haunt them,
and if there's one thing I've taken away, it's this.

Be there.

With all that you can, all that you have,
just be there, no questions asked.
Whether or not they think they need you, they do;
or they wouldn't call, knock on the door, let you in.

You don't have to have the best words;
hell, often there are none.
If you feel you need some, try "I'm here."

And then be there.

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