Give Presence: The Greatest Gift We Can Offer
- Wise Psychic Counsellor
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there? Thich Nhat Hanh offers a truth many of us forget. Not being heard is painful, but being pretended to be heard is a deeper sting. The slight nod, the distracted “mm-hmm,” the vague sound that implies attention but lacks substance. We have all done it, and we have all felt it.
I still remember a dinner with friends from a few years ago. It was meant to be joyful. We laughed, we hugged, we shared stories after a year apart. But something was missing, and I left feeling disappointed, unsettled. Nothing about the people or the place had changed, so why did it feel so different?
It was the phones.
Not one moment passed without a selfie, a video, a notification pulling one of us away. We sat together physically, yet mentally elsewhere. A table of glowing screens, each of us busy telling the online world what a wonderful night we were having, instead of truly having it. I wanted presence, connection, shared attention. Instead, I experienced distraction.
For a brief moment, I blamed them. Then I recognised myself in the behaviour. I was contributing to the very thing I resented.
That night taught me something essential. If we want real connection, we must bring ourselves fully into the moment. Not half-here, half-scrolling, half-thinking. Fully here.
Technology may be the surface layer of distraction, but the real culprit is the mind. Even without a phone, we can drift miles away. We sit across from someone, nodding politely, while our thoughts wander to ovens, breath, strangers laughing in the corner. The body stays present, the mind does not.
But when real presence happens, we feel it. No uncertainty. No wondering. Just a quiet magic like time softens around the edges. Two humans, fully here. The world fades. Words deepen. Communication becomes a dance rather than a transaction.
Presence is not only a practice it is a gift.
Ways to Cultivate Presence
Eye contactThe eyes communicate care, attention, sincerity.
Listen to understand, not to replyConnection blooms in the space where we absorb instead of prepare our next sentence.
Limit distractionsTechnology can wait. Flight mode is a friend, not an inconvenience.
Use facial expression to mirror and empathiseWhen we truly hear someone, we naturally respond with warmth, softness, understanding.
It saddens me to think of families sitting together yet worlds apart. Together in body, distant in mind. But it does not have to be like this. Presence can be chosen. Phones can be put away. Stories shared deeply. Board games played. Silence felt comfortably instead of filled with digital noise.
Presence turns moments into memories. It turns people into priority. During the holidays or any ordinary day, choose connection over distraction. Choose to be where you are. Choose presence.
Because this is the gift that leaves the greatest mark.
About Wise Psychic Counselling.
Wise Psychic Counselling offers compassionate and insightful guidance to support your mental and emotional well-being. Our team blends psychological understanding with intuitive awareness to help you navigate challenges, deepen self-connection, and experience personal growth. Whether you are processing emotion, rebuilding after difficulty, or seeking clarity in relationships, we hold space for you with care, presence, and grounded wisdom.
Your healing matters. You do not have to walk alone.
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