The Case That Won’t Leave Their Mind
Lucía is a lawyer who manages outreach programs across Latin America, coordinating workshops for professionals working with vulnerable communities. Her work is deeply meaningful, but one recent case has been difficult to shake. A partner organization asked her to follow through on a sensitive matter involving a family seeking protection, and the emotional weight of it has stayed with her.
Her coworkers admire her calm demeanor, but privately, she’s been waking up at night thinking about details she might have overlooked. Still, she shows up energized for meetings, pushing the team to move forward with upcoming trainings. Last week, during an internal session, someone asked how she handles emotional burdens. She gave a polished response, but inside she felt uneasy.
At home, her husband noticed she’s been quieter than usual. She said she’s fine, but she’s aware she’s carrying this case like a shadow. She knows she cannot fix everything, yet she feels personally responsible for giving families the best chance possible. A colleague recently reminded her, “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” but she’s unsure how to put that into practice.
List all unfamiliar words and phrases.
Review them before paraphrasing the story.
Discuss the following phrases and idioms:
vulnerable communities
difficult to shake
follow through on
sensitive matter
emotional weight
calm demeanor
waking up at night
overlooked
shows up energized
move forward
handles emotional burdens
polished response
carrying this case like a shadow
personally responsible
best chance possible
you can’t pour from an empty cup
put that into practice
Explain the story in the present tense.
Change the entire story into this tense or paraphrase your response.
Explain the story in the past tense.
Change the entire story into this tense or paraphrase your response.
Explain the story in the future tense.
Change the entire story into this tense or paraphrase your response.
Your Thoughts:
What emotions do you think Lucía may be holding back or not expressing openly?
How can meaningful work quietly turn into personal pressure over time?
What factors affect someone’s ability to emotionally step away from work?
