08/05/2026
I choose to be kind because I know how easy it is to look at someone and completely misunderstand what they are going through.
We see the attitude, the silence, the frustration, or the way they pull away, but we do not see what happened before they walked into the room. We do not know whether they cried in the car, received bad news, are grieving someone they love, are living with pain, or are simply trying to make it through one more day without falling apart.
I think about that often.
There have been times in my own life when I looked completely fine on the outside, but inside I was exhausted, hurting, scared, or barely holding myself together. Most people had no idea. Sometimes one kind word or one person taking an extra moment with me made more of a difference than they could ever know.
That is why I try to give that same kindness to others.
Even when someone seems miserable, difficult, distant, or unhappy, I try to remember that their behavior may have nothing to do with me. It may simply be pain coming out in the only way they know how to express it.
Being kind does not mean allowing people to mistreat you. It does not mean having no boundaries or constantly sacrificing yourself. It simply means choosing not to add more hurt to someone who may already be carrying more than they can handle.
You may be the only person who is patient with them today. You may be the only person who truly sees them. Your smile, your compassion, or the way you speak to them may be the only gentle moment they have experienced in a very long time.
We never really know what someone is surviving behind closed doors.
So whenever I can, I choose to be kind. Not because the world has always been kind to me, but because I know how deeply kindness can matter when it finally finds you.
