When someone opens up to you, when they pour their heart out to you, it's not always because they're looking for answers or need advice or require consolation. Sometimes, they just want to vent their feelings. They just want to say things out loud because they're tired of carrying them around for so long. They just want to talk and express themselves. In that moment, when you hear about what they're going through, you may have an anecdote or life lesson to share with them or explain how you understand what they're going through by speaking of your own past experiences, but sometimes, it's okay to leave those aside and just listen to the other person. It's okay to offer them silence instead. To pay attention, to encourage them to go on, to offer them exactly what they need: a safe space, where they can just unpack their feelings without judgement, interruption, or disrespect.