On average, my mother cries once a day. She cries at movies, at thank-you cards, and at the nerve pain that years of landscaping has caused.

She is known for her smile.

A professor I deeply admire has a hard time watching The Incredibles because of the difficulty of seeing children exposed to violence.

Her daughter asked her to read the Harry Potter books. She agreed.

My best friend has an air bubble in her ribcage, making strenuous activity both painful and somewhat dangerous.

She walked up one of the steepest hills in our hometown every day for months to keep the job that helped her earn enough to move off-island.

I could go on about the amazingly sensitive people I have met who consistently show their steel in facing pain, and loss, and moments of insecurity. There are phrases and moments that feel like sandpaper on my heart, but I don't want to let those things stop me. By looking at the strong people in my life, I realize again that grace is given in moments of need, and that doubts can linger all the way through the fire - I will still pass through. I'd also encourage the reader to find the most sensitive person you know, that person who feels things into their deepest corners, and remind them that what they are doing is brave, because it is.