A hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on or someone to simply sit with us through the storm. Sometimes that’s all we need. In a world often quick to offer solutions, Darian Smith has shared a heartfelt message that reminds us of the profound power of simply being there for one another.
Durban, South Africa (06 July 2025) – Many of us, if not all, have experienced those particularly heavy moments in life when things just seem all too much to bear or handle.
With so many people going through “stuff”, admired Durban community leader and philanthropist, Darian Smith, decided to pen a heartfelt message on his socials and which speaks to how true healing doesn’t always come from well-intentioned advice or logical fixes. That sometimes, having people just show up is more than enough.
Sometimes, we don’t need advice,” Darian shares.
“We don’t need someone to fix it.
We don’t need solutions wrapped in logic or love rushed by discomfort.
Sometimes we just need someone.
Someone to sit with us in the dark.
To hold the weight of our silence.
To not flinch when the pain shows itself.
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To not run when the tears don’t stop.
I’ve learned this not from books, not from theory, but from life. From sitting across people who’ve lost everything.”
Darian goes on to empathise with mothers who have lost their children, young women carrying the shame of abuse and fathers broken by grief they never gave themselves permission to feel.
“I’ve learned that healing doesn’t live in answers. It lives in presence.
It lives in sitting with someone and saying nothing but being everything in that moment.
Because money doesn’t fix problems.
People do. And not by solving them.
But by walking beside someone without judgment,
Without rushing their pain, without needing them to be okay.”
Inspired by mentors like Prof. Frida Rundell, Darian emphasises that sometimes, the most profound support we can offer those facing incredibly challenging ordeals or pain, is to walk alongside someone in their darkest moments and meet them where they are at.
“It is through her grooming, her patience, her love, that I have learned what it truly means to be present.”
A key takeaway from his message is that healing is not forced; it’s invited. And presence is the invitation. And that even if that presence doesn’t come with answers or solutions – stillness, connection, and understanding can offer greater comfort than answers ever could.
Sources: Darian Smith
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