love you...

Someone I love called me last night and told me about a crisis in their life. I felt like saying, "Why the hell didn't you tell me this sooner? I've been feeling it for days"!
I've mentioned that I believe I empathically "pick up" on people's pains. Well it appears it doesn't matter whether they are physical or emotional pains. And the closer I am (emotionally, not proximity, btw) to the individual, the more intense the "symptoms".

This "someone"is very close to me, very important. This is potentially a life-altering crisis. I do believe this person is seeing only negative possibilities right now. I told them "it hasn't happened yet and you don't know that it will... breathe..." (hah, practice what you preach, peg. Therapist heal thyself!)

You know... it's one thing to get a vague feeling of pain or discomfort from acquaintenances/clients/strangers, but when it's someone I love... oh my, it really throws me for a loop. For several days, I've been having intense headaches, neck pain, my jaw hurts from gritting my teeth, my back has been tight... I generally don't have these problems, well at least not since starting school.
I'm still feeling kinda "tender" today. I'm still feeling overwhelmed and frightened (my feelings? theirs? some of both?).

Now that I know what's going on.... I'm not internalizing it so much. I guess now I'm seeing it as a problem to solve. I want so badly to be able to help... at the very least... I want to hold them.

I wish they had called me earlier!