Most of the time, our stories are clearly different even though we carry the same kinds of feelings—sadness, loneliness, jealousy, hurt, happiness, and hope. We can relate better than we ever expect if only we open ourselves up to it. We don’t need to shoulder the same struggle as someone else to show that person compassion or to be a bright spot in his day. We just need to care.

There’s a fear: we won’t say the right thing. We’ll make matters worse. We better just say nothing at all because we really cannot even imagine what that person is going through.

It’s not true.

Even if we cannot seem to walk that mile in someone else’s shoes, we are still capable of standing beside them to be a supporter until the day they learn to smile again.~Hannah Brencher (moreloveletters.com)