Witnessed

In my work at the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, I receive many advocacy calls. Often, they involve discrimination or high stress in employment or educational settings. Occasionally, I hear about difficult encounters with police or other authority figures. Many times, people are struggling financially.

When these calls come to us, we usually have resources to share, and we always offer a listening ear. But sometimes the problems are vast — larger than what can be solved in a single call or by one agency. As David LaMotte often says, “We can’t always fix problems, but we can always change them.”

I take a cue from a friend I deeply admire: Allison Nichol is a civil rights attorney in our national office who hears countless stories like these. She often reminds us that alongside the tangible needs, there’s another human desire at the heart of these conversations — the longing to be witnessed.

And we should never underestimate the impact of that. We all need to know that people care, that we are worth someone’s time and empathy. We need to know that the wrongs done to us matter — that they were, indeed, wrong.

I think many people assume their needs and stories won’t be welcome. But what becomes possible when we do offer witness and welcome?

—Renee Roederer