SOPHS: An Inspirational Story

empathy [(em-puh-thee)]

Identifying oneself completely with an object or person, sometimes even to the point of responding physically, as when, watching a baseball player swing at a pitch, one feels one's own muscles flex.

Dick Hoyt doesn't feel "sympathy" for his son as much as he feels "empathy."

The physically and emotional identification that he feels with Ricky has made him the athlete and father that he is today. He admits that he could never have competed in all of these road races without Ricky's participation and inspiration.

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