01 Sep The Receiving End of Empathy
Kaiden Shelton watched, stunned, as Isaiah Jarvis dropped to the ground.
It was the first inning of the Southwest Region Playoff final in the Little League World Series. As 12-year-old Jarvis stood at the plate, a stray pitch slammed into his head, knocking his helmet off. Jarvis fell to the ground in a heap.
A collective gasp was heard in the stadium.
Jarvis was lying on the ground, clutching his head as coaches and trainers rushed to his side.
Shelton stood on the pitcher’s mound, looking down at his glove, as if willing with all his might to bring the stray ball back and rewind the horror of the moment the ball left his hand.
Knowing it was an accident didn’t make Shelton feel any better. Tears began rolling down his cheeks.
After a few long minutes, Jarvis was cleared and the game was ready to continue. The crowd stood and clapped as Jarvis signaled he was okay and walked to first base.
But not everyone on the field was okay.
Shelton was having a hard time trying to compose himself. Like so many wounds, the ones on the inside were taking longer to bounce back from.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shelton saw Jarvis drop his helmet and begin walking from first base to where he stood on the pitcher’s mound. Shelton’s only thought was that now Jarvis was coming for him –wanting to punch him as payback for the errant pitch.
Instead, Jarvis did an extraordinary thing. He wrapped Shelton in an embrace, telling him, “I’m all right. Hey, you’re doing great. Take deep breaths. Just think happy thoughts.”
Empathy is about understanding the perspective of another with accuracy. In this heartwarming show of humanity, Jarvis did just that, departing from his own point of view and imagining how things might have felt from the pitcher’s mound.
To be seen in such a way – the way Jarvis let Shelton know I see you and I know you’re hurting and I’m here – is what it feels like when we are lucky enough to be on the receiving end of empathy.