Embracing the Presence of the Other

Thich Nhat Hanh once taught that the most magical words we can ever offer another are also the simplest: “Dear one, I am really here for you.” I return to these words again and again in my own life and in my work with couples. They are both balm and mirror—balm because they soothe the ache of longing to be seen, mirror because they reflect back how often we live side-by-side yet fail to arrive in each other’s presence.