JayMatt19:
need to disagree with you here. It is wrong to say that the only person capable of helping someone is someone who had similar experiences. Are you telling me that the only person who can help a mother who (lo aleynu) lost a child is someone who they themselves lost a child? How about infertility? Illness?
although they might not be the only ones who can HELP, very often they are the ones who can truly FEEL. And in order to except help from some one, it helps often to have been in the same situation.
SO often we hear from mothers who don’t have children that everyone is being so nice, caring, helpful… but can someone who was never there, really, truly understand?
(not a negative on someone who wasn’t in that situation…)
most of us have been in some trying situation one time or another…
and from my experience, many people can help, MANY people.
and many try to feel. Many.
But B”H they have not been in my situation, and therefore there is a level of feeling, or empathy- NOT sympathy, that is truly difficult to be achieved.