My husband and I volunteer as greeters for our church one Sunday per month. Last Sunday, I couldn’t help but sense some people were down, stressed, forcing a smile, and going through something I had no idea about. I found it ironic that I was especially noticing this sadness this particular day, and then in our volunteer group meeting, the topic of discussion was what it means to genuinely and profoundly care for one another.

Unfortunately, in this life, we can’t escape difficult times; that’s what being “human” means. I was grateful I had an opportunity to smile and greet the attendees and try to show care even though it was such a short amount of time.

We really have no clue what people are going through. We just don’t know. I’ve loved this quote for some time now: “Be kind. For everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” {there are a few variations btw} This reinforces the need to be kind and thoughtful as we encounter one another each day.

This transcends to strangers, friends, families, husbands, fiancés, colleagues, and on. Oftentimes, we just don’t know what someone is going through unless we ask and unless we open our eyes to see the hurt that someone is feeling.

The leader of our group brought up a question prompting us to remember a time when a person was consistently there for you, cried with you, and held you {physically or metaphorically}. One of the first thoughts that came to mind was my husband. I had lost my father about a year before meeting Michael. I was still very much grieving. He allowed me to cry, he wasn’t uncomfortable with my emotions, he didn’t try to rush me through my painful moments, and he allowed me to fully experience what I was going through.

When you lose a parent, you don’t just grieve and move on. Days do feel brighter as the years go by, but you really don’t get over it. You will always miss them. And there are still days where it hits you so hard you can’t breathe. I still have these days, and Michael still holds me and cares for me.

Oftentimes, when we ask people how they are doing, we want them to say they’re good. Because we want  them to be doing good, and if they aren’t, we may feel uncomfortable and not know what to say or feel inadequate to help. But here’s the thing, we really can comfort someone. We really can be that light that makes their sadness a little less dark. When we ask someone how they’re doing, we need to show that we’re open to hearing honestly how they’re doing. And if their answer is “not good” or if they are having a rough day, week or year, we need to show them we are there as friends who love them and won’t let them experience this alone.

Most certainly our love for our spouse requires us to give this support and kindness and go through the experience together, hand in hand. But we can also be there for friends, colleagues, people you know who are hurting.

Think about a time when someone showed you so much love and compassion and took your hand and said I’m here for you, and I’ll walk through this with you. The feeling is indescribable. Invaluable. Cherished.

This is how we can really care for one another; this is how we can make each day sweeter and more meaningful.

If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear from you! Please share in the comment section below:

1. What is the first example that comes to mind when someone was so loving and kind to you, it made all the difference in the experience?
2. Thinking of a time when you were really there for someone and walked with them through their struggle: How did you feel? How did they respond to your kindness?

To not wasting one opportunity to show kindness,

P.S. Have you watched the Healthy Steps to the Aisle {free} video series yet? Just click HERE to find out more info + access! “See” you there!