I have carried her kindness with me ever since. It influenced the way I raise my son, the way I speak to people who are struggling, and the way I try to offer reassurance even when I don’t have the perfect answers. Because I learned from her that kindness is not about fixing everything. It is about showing up, offering steadiness, and giving someone the strength to face one more day.
Life has a way of circling back. When my son met her again, he didn’t understand the full story, but he sensed something special. He smiled up at her, and she smiled back with that familiar expression of calm encouragement.