Gifts and Empathy

A long conversation I had last night has gotten me thinking about people's gifts. One of Andy's is leadership, he is very good and figuring out what needs to be done and getting the people for it. My friend Stephanie is an organizer and is very empathic. My main one seems to be empathy. I have the ability to sit down with a complete stranger and have their entire life's story and problems they are having in 5 minutes. Friends come to me with problems and ask for advice I often feel unqualified to give, but they want it anyway. (I'm not trying to brag just explain. :P) For a long time it could drive me to tears trying to help someone and feeling like they through it back in my face. One person did so many times before I realized that it was not good for me and that I needed to stop talking to them for my mental health. Andy says that it is because people recognize that I am genuinely interested in them and will listen to what they have to say, instead of everything being all about me. I just don't know. This was all brought to mind by a friend I really like, but don't know all that well yet, who called me for help last night. I hope I was able to offer comfort and help with the depression that was there, but just found it interesting that they would call me instead of someone they were closer to. I love talking to people and helping them, I just have to be careful that I do not hurt myself be taking their problems on my own shoulders. Empathy is a wonderful, but dangerous gift. And this post is not meant to ask people to stop calling me. PLEASE do call. :) It's just a way to organize my thoughts and try to straighten things out in my head.