Last night a co-worker of mine came to me with news of a family member in the hospital. I could tell by the body language with wasn’t just a normal distant family member, but someone cherished a little deeper than others. My reaction was the normal concern for human life, but as the story went on of the ailments, I felt like my sympathy wasn’t enough.
It’s not that I don’t feel compassion for anyone, especially for friends. I just had a hard time judging if my expression of sadness was enough. Plus, the fact that the person relaying the news seemed to fluctuate a little from anger to sadness and back. Also, this co-worker has other individuals in their life that are related in a way to give a more appropriate approach to support.
Still I am bothered by how I handled the situation in general, and if I could have given a little more feedback to the tale of woe set before me.

Has anyone else come across this moment of self-questioning?