helper and the helped

Recently on a Monday night, one of regular friends at Next Door, Renee,[1] invited someone to join us for dinner. Renee, who has experienced profound pain in her life, had met this other woman the day before, when she found her distraught outside the local McDonald’s. Renee approached this stranger, told her she looked like she needed a hug, and then hugged her and listed to her painful story. She then followed up with her