One of my dearest friends has suffered an unimaginable loss. The kind of loss that there are just no words for.

I was able to go be with her and do what I could to help. To be honest, I spent a great deal of time watching everyone else do everything and I just kept an eye out for the tiny cracks that needed filling. I felt like I wasn’t doing much to be honest.

The night before I headed home, it was just the two of us. There was a lot of quiet…the kind that wraps around you like a favorite, well worn sweater.

Along with the comfortable silences, there was laughter, eye rolls, difficult questions, and occasional feelings of it all being too much.

And it brought me back to a time when she had done the same…was just there for me. She held me when I cried and reminded me that the light was still there, even when all I could see was darkness.

This has once again reminded me that we truly have no idea what those around us are going through. We have the opportunity to lift each other up or simply extend kindness.

Yes, the world is crazy and, at times, downright scary. But wouldn’t it be a beautiful thing to hold out a helping hand and view each other with compassion? Will we be hurt? Maybe. But we may also be the person to remind someone that there is light, even in the darkness.