I'm needed

I can become so self-absorbed that I begin to think that no one needs me. I have pity parties a lot, but don't want anyone to know that about me.  It's a sense of pride that keeps me strong on the outside wven though I'm crumbling on the inside.  

I've been helping a friend negotiate her way through a new cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy.  As a nurse I've faced these issues hundreds of times but now it's different.  Seeing a good friend suffer with something so heavy breaks my heart.  I'm learning a lot.  One important thing is to be able to shut my mouth and listen.  I have to allow her to  express herself in a safe place.  I want to be the kind of person who can do that.  I also want to be needed.  I want to make a difference in a positive way