The person who cut you off.
The one who snapped in a meeting.
The one who didn’t text back.
The stranger who seemed cold.
The friend who pulled away.
We never really know what they’re carrying.
A diagnosis.
A loss.
A panic that doesn’t show on their face.
A decision that’s breaking them quietly.
And yet…
we often respond with frustration.
Judgment.
Distance.
But here’s the thing:
You’ve probably been there.
Not in their exact shoes—
but in the same storm.
You’ve been overwhelmed.
You’ve miscommunicated.
You’ve snapped.
You’ve held back.
You’ve needed space but didn’t know how to ask for it.
So maybe the answer isn’t always “figure them out.”
Maybe it’s just be gentle.
Because kindness doesn’t require context.
Just awareness.
And most of the time,
the grace you give someone else
is grace you’ve needed before too.
Whatever someone else is walking through…
you don’t need to understand it to meet it with softness.
That’s the Cushy way.