Most of us will never know what someone else is carrying. We walk past each other in the store or cross paths at work. We smile in passing, maybe. Or maybe we don’t. Perhaps we’re tired, distracted or caught in our own thoughts. We rarely think much of it. But I’ve been thinking lately about tone. About how the smallest comments – the ones we toss out quickly or think are harmless – can linger much longer than we realize. A clipped word. A sigh. A face turned away. None of it dramatic. Just ... enough. Enough to stick with someone all day. We don’t always mean anything by it. Life moves fast and we get overwhelmed. We forget that other people might already be carrying something heavy. But the truth is, most people are. They just don’t talk about it. Some grieve in silence, while others suffer quietly from burnout. Many face medical diagnoses, broken relationships, financial stress or panic attacks away from public view. Some are barely managing, far more than we realize. And…