Being the person who stayed up countless nights texting, calling, or going to comfort a friend, I know a little bit about empathy. First off, let's not get empathy and sympathy confused. Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone, that you pity what they are going through. Empathy is when you take on these emotions yourself. And this is what made me such a "good" friend. I was there for anything, not because I felt sorry for my friends, but I felt their sadness within myself. I took form in their emotions and transferred them into my life. The first time I felt true empathy was at my best friend's grandma's funeral when we were in the fourth grade. I had went not because I knew her grandma, but because I knew I needed to be there for my friend. The wave of grief and sadness I felt, the uncontrollable tears I had for someone I did not even know didn't make much sense to me; however, I knew these emotions helped me help her. She could see that I understood her hurt because I hurt with her. I knew how to help her through her hurt because I placed her hurt within myself.

From this moment forward, I would take on all their emotions. When a friend had a breakup, bad day, or even just going through it for the moment, I took on these emotions to help them. I didn't pity them, I felt with them. I wanted to understand their hurt and hurt with them so I could help them heal. And as amazing as this sounds, all of these things that made me a "good friend" absolutely exhausted me.