We Are One, We Are Love: Thoughts On Empathy

I used to think empathy was something you either had or didn’t—like being good at math or having a green thumb. I knew it mattered, sure. I knew it was “important.” But I didn’t fully understand the power of empathy—of love, of belonging—until I became a mother.

Suddenly, I saw the whole world through softer eyes. I saw the scared child behind the angry stranger. I saw the exhaustion in a new mom’s smile. I saw how we are all just trying. Just doing our best.

Empathy has deepened every single relationship in my life—my marriage, my friendships, my family, and most surprisingly, the one I have with myself.

Love is love. Love is everything.

And the more I practice empathy, the more I believe this: we are one. We are each other. And the way we treat one another, even in the smallest moments, matters deeply.

In a time where the world feels divided, uncertain, and often so loud… maybe what we really need is a return to tenderness. Maybe we need more gentle people showing up with soft hearts and open hands. Maybe it starts with us.

 

So how do we live with more empathy and love, not just in theory but in the everyday?

 

Here are a few ways I’m practicing:

1. Lead with curiosity, not judgment.

When someone’s behavior confuses or frustrates me, I try to pause and ask, “What might they be carrying?”

We never know the whole story. Empathy begins when we make space for the possibility that someone is doing the best they can—even when it doesn’t make sense to us.

Try this: Before reacting, take a breath and say to yourself, “I wonder what this person has been through.” It shifts everything.

 

2. Speak to yourself like someone you love.

Self-compassion is the foundation. If you can’t hold space for your own humanness, it’s hard to do it for anyone else.

Try this: When your inner critic gets loud, ask, “Would I say this to my child? My best friend?” If not, rewrite it. Make it kinder.

 

3. Make eye contact. Offer presence.

At the store. At the park. At the drive-thru. Look up and see people. Really see them.

Try this: Give a genuine compliment. Smile. Ask how someone’s day is and actually listen. It doesn’t need to be deep to be meaningful.

 

4. Hold space instead of fixing.

 

Not every story needs a solution. Sometimes people just want to be heard. To feel safe. To know they aren’t alone.

Try this: When a friend opens up, say, “That sounds really heavy. I’m so glad you shared it with me.” Then just be there.

 

5. Be okay with not having the last word. I struggle with this one, it is a constant practice.

Empathy doesn’t always mean agreeing—it means understanding. And sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is listen without needing to win.

The more I soften, the more I slow down, the more I realize how sacred this all is—this life, these people, these fleeting moments. The little kindnesses are not small. They are everything.

Empathy isn’t just an emotional tool—it’s a spiritual practice. It connects us. Heals us. Transforms us. It strengthens the social fabric—the invisible web that holds us all.

We are not as separate as we seem.

We are one.

We are love.

And we are so deeply needed right now.

 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure how to help—start with this: Choose love, again and again. Choose to see others as part of you. Choose to offer your heart, even if it’s messy. Choose to soften.

The world will thank you for it.

And maybe, in that small brave act, you’ll start to feel a little more held too.