If we think about the amount of stuff we withhold only in our heart–all the experiences, memories and challenges that we don’t tell other people because they are too messy to share–we can conclude that we don’t know other people’s lives at all. We think we know them, but we really don’t, just like others may think they know us, but they really don’t.
What that means is compassion. If we don’t know what’s going on, we aren’t in a position to judge. The best we can do is offer to walk with them, and tell them–in a genuine way–that we are there for them if they need us.