This blog post will be a bit of a change of pace.
We won’t be throwing any huge ideas at you, or running through a how-to guide.
Instead, we will just be asking a simple question:
How are you?
Sometimes it’s a query that we don’t really take seriously. It can be thrown at us by a bakery assistant who is trying to fill time while she slices our bread, or by an acquaintance we bump into outside the supermarket (and then two more times in the cereal and frozen food aisles).
When someone asks “How are you?”, we don’t think twice before automatically answering, “Good, thanks”.
But after going through a life-changing event, you can become acutely attuned to the fact that things aren’t all good. Going to the grocery store or running into an old friend reminds us of the harsh reality that the world is still turning for everyone else. And when that shop assistant asks the big question, we can feel totally isolated, wanting to respond honestly, but stuck in the routine of acting “fine”.
Making it through days like these can be hell, but there are simple things others can do to lift another’s spirits.
Getting a smile from a stranger or having someone acknowledge that everything isn’t running along smoothly can remind us that we are not anonymous; that we are not alone.
If you are having a good day, or even an average day, remember that there is someone out there whose world has just crumbled. We all go through times when we are unable to cope, and we all have weeks when we feel on top of the world. You never know which of these the next person you see will be experiencing, nor can you underestimate the level of good a smile or some kind words will do.
These are free to give, but can be the most heart-warming of gifts to receive.
