Think About It

I am in Phoenix this week. For the last couple of weeks, I have been looking at the forecast and been cautious about the temperatures in the 115 degree range. Whenever I mention that to someone, they respond, “Well at least it’s a dry heat.”. Folks, I have to be honest with you, I don’t know what that means and, in all honesty, it doesn’t help me all that much. Hot is hot, dry or not! Yes, I understand that humidity can be uncomfortable – even at lower temperatures – but 115 is rugged wet or dry! The reason I bring this up is to remind us to think about what we are saying. It is easy to offer platitudes without giving them much thought. While I tease about the consolation I have gotten about the heat, when we try to nullify hardships or tragedies with triteness, we can cause more harm than good. When someone deals with a crisis or loses a loved one, they need support, not vain repetitions of superficial phrases. They want to know that we genuinely care, not that we can repeat