“See me.” It’s a call for acknowledgment, compassion, and validation. Those are gifts that every human being needs to give and receive for strong, healthy relationships.

Sawubona.

That’s the Zulu word for “hello” which literally translates as “I see you and by seeing you I bring you into being.”

Wouldn't you love to be addressed that way?

As human beings, we need to be validated, and we need to validate others. We desperately need to be seen, heard, and understood. And so we must learn how to see with our hearts, how to listen with presence, and how to learn with a deep curiosity.

Read these short poems to help you appreciate the present moment, and the people here with you.

5 Short Poems to Remind You to Answer the Plea: “See Me.”

1. Let your compassionate presence lead the way.

It’s when we start to feel

like an island

that the world becomes bleak, and

nothing anyone says to us

makes us want to feel

differently.

Nobody is an island, no matter how much it feels like it.

I’ve learned that giving people the gift of your absolute presence of mind and heart—your undivided attention—is a gift unlike anything else. It’s a gift that creates space for sharing and healing.

If we exchanged every “hello” with “I see you” instead, the world might be a better place.

2. Make them feel seen.

Be someone

who makes everyone

feel seen in your presence.

Again, your presence is a powerful healing agent. It’s relationship glue. It makes a tremendous difference in the quality of your connections (and you won’t be the only one who will notice the change).

Be someone who makes everyone feel seen in your presence.

3. Be with someone.

If only you could read my mind,

then you might 

ask me

how I’m doing tonight and you would

care enough to stay

long enough to help me

ease my mind.

You can be a blessing by caring, even if you can’t read someone’s mind. That’s the point: we might be able to read into someone’s struggle, but we never really know for sure how deeply they’re hurting.

This is why a loving and patient approach can make such a difference in someone’s life.

It takes real courage to see ourselves truthfully and thus be vulnerable, open, and truthful with others.

4. Listen for a story.

I respect the people who are

interested

in what the quiet person

has to say.

For those with soft speech, I hear you.

Silence doesn’t mean someone is shy or in a bad mood. It could very well be that they're busy noticing the world around them, not taking any sensation for granted. Quiet people have stories, but not every mind is trained enough to hear them.

“Quiet people have the loudest minds.” — Stephen Hawking

5. Open your heart.

See

past the surface.

See

with your heart.

If we can expand our compassionate awareness to encompass others, we will be able to see far beyond the surface. We will see another Heart in our Heart.

. . .

Tell me:

Which of these poems is your favorite?

Tell me in the comments. I read every single one, and I’d love to know!

With love,

Jen

P.S. Want to make that person feel seen? Go visit my shop for prints of handwritten poems and other words of hope and heart. From the bottom of their heart, they’ll love it.