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and a celebration of the host and journalism who've always spoken truth to power.

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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.

Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast Podcast.

Today's tip is that when a friend or relative or colleague is going through a hard time,

you should let them know that you care about them without asking anything of them.

Make it clear that no response is needed.

So if you ever personally have been through a really rough patch,

you know that mustering the energy for even basic life maintenance can feel challenging.

When you are in crisis, you certainly don't have the energy to answer lots of questions,

or coordinate other people's attempts to help you.

Now this may seem obvious, and yet when other people are struggling,

we often resort to asking questions that the person might feel some obligation to answer.

How is your mom doing today? Have you gotten the results from your biopsy?

Who's taking care of Rover? Do you want me to bring you dinner? And if so, what are your favorite

comfort foods? Questions like these arise from a place of caring. But by asking questions,

you are giving your loved one one more thing to do. So instead of asking questions,

try expressing your concern and caring as statements. I hope your mom is feeling better today.

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