Beth's capacity for empathy serves her well with her husband, James, as well as in other relationships. Others experience her as a good listener and often seek her out to share their stress. However, these conversations often leave Beth feeling anxious and distraught, even though she may not recognize the source of her discomfort. At other times, she is able to recognize and admit that her tension is related to feeling overwhelmed by others' suffering.
While having them 12 months apart wasn't the plan, it's what it is. What I'm finding is that my boys aren't close. They love each other and are excited to see one another when they've been apart, but often when it comes to empathy for one another, they're a bit....lacking. They have to be coached to hug one another and say "sorry" for hurts or slights.