At some of the darkest moments in my life, some people I thought of
as friends deserted me - some because they cared about me and it hurt them
to see me in pain; others because I reminded them of their own vulnerability,
and that was more than they could handle. But real friends overcame
their discomfort and came to sit with me. If they had not words to make me
feel better, they sat in silence (much better than saying, "You'll get over it,"
or "It's not so bad; others have it worse") and I loved them for it.
--Rabbi Harold Kushner