The shoes of life
We are all given one pair of shoes in life for us to walk with. This shoes are not replaceable, non-refundable and every pair of shoes is designed to fit the person that is using them perfectly.
Now some shoes are harder to walk in than others. But that doesn't mean that the person that is wearing them isn't hurting.
Some shoes are made of wool and fluffiness, when the person is walking it's like they are walking on clouds. Some shoes are made of solid wood and it bruises the owner with every step they take. Some shoes are just moderate, it can't hurt that much but still you will be exhausted and drain from time to time. Some just walk barefoot, so as time goes by, their skin just gets thicker and thicker just to survive. Some shoes are made of odd things and doesn't even make sense.
The question is can we compare all of these shoes with each other? Remember, they are custom made to fit the person wearing them. The experience of wearing these shoes would also vary completely from one another. Comparing would be a silly thing. It's like comparing an apple to an orange. They are both fruits but nothing is quite the same.
So when the person is complaining that they are hurting, that the walk is hard, does that mean what they are feeling is invalid? Of course not. We can never invalidated someone's feeling just because we are not experiencing what they are feeling at the moment. Though some complains might be a little annoying but what is hurting, is hurting. As simple as that.
You may say 'But her shoes are made of wood, it's hard and bruises you every time you take a step. You should be grateful that yours is made of fluff.”
The point is, the person in the fluff shoes are not given the shoes made out of wood. She knows how hard the wooden shoes may be. Does that mean that her fluff shoes gave her an easy walk? It can give her the extreme itchiness or make her fall from sharp corner every once in a while.
We can't take someone shoes and try them on just to see “how it is”. That is the rule of the shoes of life. That doesn't mean that some experiences can't be shared. Isn't better if all of us try to be a listener and have a little empathy. That would go a long way.
The only thing that we can do is we must understand that every pair of shoes is different, some may be harder than others but they all have their own perks and flaws.
Love, Ordinarily Existing