I was performing my daily routine. Practice, class, cafeteria, and then more class. The only difference was that on this day, I decided to take a quick stop at the office. There was a small glitch in my meal plan that needed quick fixing. As I’m explaining to the lady at the front desk my issue, she receives a call.

In a matter of seconds, her face completely changed. She let the phone crash on the ground and began to scream and cry. It was like a dark cloud was hovering her and after a few more seconds, her body began to shake. I didn’t know what to do.

I didn’t know who was on the other line of that phone call. I didn’t know what news she had just received. I didn’t know anything about her. All I knew was what I saw, which was a middle-aged woman who worked at the front desk and was supposed to help me fix the issue with my meal plan.

The woman at the front desk’s co-worker immediately held her in her arms, consoling her, and telling her “It’s OK,” despite her inability to know if it actually would be. As she let out a few more screams, I panicked and ran out.

My heart was racing, my hands were trembling, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Despite my trouble breathing, I ran to my dorm. I was obviously having some sort of panic attack. I could not control my breathing, and the amount of empathy I was experiencing was overwhelming.

When I got to my room I laid down, finally gained control of my breathing, and stared at the tiled ceiling above me. I kept thinking about how much that woman’s grief affected me. I also thought about how so many people encounter different struggles in this world but it’s so easy not to notice.

As I walk around my college campus I see all different kinds of people. People from different backgrounds, races, and experiences. People with their own personal hardships and emotional baggage. But, how would I know this?

As I spend my days wallowing in my own pity, I fail to understand that everyone in the world is struggling. Every single person I meet has his or her own issues or hardships that they are facing. The facts that I walk past people everyday that are undergoing difficult circumstances in their lives is absolutely mind-blowing to me.

Sharing in that tragic moment with the lady at the front desk caused me to realize that I’m not the only one with personal struggles. I’m not the only one who is coping with certain internal or external life obstacles. I understand now that I’m not alone.

It is easy to say that I’m not alone but to truly understand that concept can be difficult. I’m not the only one with problems. I’m not the only one who has to overcome the trials that life sometimes bombards you with.

Now I understand why people say, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Just because someone is smiling doesn’t mean that they haven’t shed a tear or two. That’s why in this world having an open heart to the people around you is crucial. Being kind to the people you meet whether or not they are close to you is imperative because you have no idea how much baggage some people are carrying. Be kind and pay it forward because you are not alone. If you help carry someone’s baggage, then maybe they’ll help carry yours.

You never know.