i quote one of my favourite writers on presence in his book 'out of solitude':

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

- Henri Nouwen

heard dr tan soo-inn of grace@work fame yesterday. must admit his articles/ commentaries are pretty insightful and interesting. you don't usually hear me praising writers, except those like nouwen - think it's because dead men can't swell up with men's praise. but anyway, at one part he spoke about him going through a valley when his first wife had cancer, and subsequently passed away. that he had a friend who, like the quote above, just spent time and presence with him each week. how he looked forward to the company of that friend, when no amount of words would suffice, presence did.

i can't encapsulate the sheer importance of presence to humanity as well as nouwen did. that's why i can only humbly quote him here.