We should never underestimate a kind, affirming word.
Maybe someone has been grieving,
Maybe someone has been depressed,
Maybe someone has been anxious,
Maybe someone has been lonely,
Maybe someone has been stigmatized,
Maybe someone has been scapegoated,
Maybe someone has been exhausted,
Maybe someone has been vulnerable,
Maybe someone has been hope-seeking.
There’s nothing particularly deep or creative in lifting up the importance of a kind word. I’m just saying something obvious. But I can point to several moments lately when people have done this, and it’s had even more power than they knew. We may never know fully what someone is carrying.
A kind word might not only land well. It might transform well.
–Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 