Every day we pass hundreds of people. Some we know well. We know their names, their families, their stories. Others are complete strangers, faces that blur past us in the grocery aisle, at the stoplight, in the waiting room, on a phone call. But every single one of them has something in common. They are carrying something invisible.
Some are quietly celebrating. They just got good news from the doctor, their grandchild was born, they finally paid off a debt they worried about for years. They are happy, and it shows in the way they walk a little lighter.
But some are carrying sadness. A loss that is still fresh. A house that feels too quiet. A memory that came back this morning for no reason at all.
Some are scared. About a test result. About whether they can afford what they need this month. About a child who is struggling and will not talk about it.
Some are frustrated, stretched thin, running on very little sleep and very little patience because life has been asking more of them than they have to give.
And the truth is, we don’t know which one we are looking at. There is no sign on anyone’s forehead. The man who is short with the cashier might have just come from a funeral. The teenager who will not look up might be anxious beyond words. The woman who seems to have it all together might be holding herself together by a thread.
We only see the outside moment. We never see the whole story.
That is why kindness matters so much, and why it is not a small thing. It is our real job, whatever our other job happens to be. Our job is to treat everyone as if their feelings matter, because they do. To speak in a tone that preserves dignity. To offer the extra second of patience when it would be easier to rush. To look people in the eye, to smile, to say thank you like we mean it.
A kind word can be the one decent moment in a hard day. A little grace can be what allows someone to keep going without breaking down. We may never know what our five seconds of kindness spared someone else from feeling.
This does not mean we have to fix anyone. We cannot. We are not supposed to carry everyone else’s burdens for them. Our job is simpler and more within our reach. Make the moment you share with another person a little more tolerable. A little safer. A little more human.
If you are on the phone, your voice might be the only calm voice they hear today. If you are passing someone in the hall, your hello might be the first time anyone has really acknowledged them.
Kindness is not weakness.
It takes strength to stay gentle when the world is hurried and sharp. It takes character to decide that even if we cannot know what everyone is feeling, we will act as if it matters. We see hundreds of people every day. We will not remember most of them. But they may remember how we made them feel. Be empathetic. Let them remember your kindness and understanding.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32
Being About The Journey 