"Understand and Care"

I have many different feelings. Other people have many feelings, too.
I want to understand how other people feel.
When something happens to someone, I can imagine how I would feel if it happened to me. Then I can understand how someone else might feel. I see my friend smile and laugh when she’s happy. She enjoys being with people and things she likes.
I understand how she feels.
I smile and laugh at some of the same things.
When something nice happens to someone, I can remember times when I have been happy.
I can imagine how I would feel.
Then I can understand how the person feels. I can show I care. Someone I know may feel sad when something goes wrong. He may frown or cry. I feel sad, too, when things go wrong for me. I can imagine how I would feel if the same thing happened to me.
I can understand how the person feels.
I can show I care.
Sometimes people feel angry when things don’t go the way they want.
Anger may show in a person’s face, voice, or body. I can remember feeling angry when things didn’t go my way. I can try to understand how the person feels. I can show I care.
If I’m not sure how someone is feeling, I might ask, "How do you feel?” Then I can listen. Listening shows that I respect the person, and that I want to understand.
When I want to understand how someone feels, I can watch how the person acts. I can remember when I have felt that way. I can imagine how I might feel. I can ask and listen. I can show I care. Understanding each other helps us get along. It feels good to understand and care!

Cheri J. Meiners, M. Ed.
Understand and care
Minneapolis, Free spirit publishing, 2003

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