“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much;
it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Grief strips away illusions. Parents who have lost a child know what it means to be left with too little. Too little time. Too little comfort. Too little understanding from a world that keeps moving. Progress, in the context of grief, is not measured by smiles or achievements. Real progress shows when a grieving parent offers comfort to someone newly broken. Offering presence, not solutions. Offering understanding, not advice. Compassion becomes the gift we give when we have little else to offer.
A grieving parent may feel empty, yet still reach into that emptiness and find something to share. Grief teaches empathy in a way no textbook or training ever could. The wisdom learned from loss becomes a kind of provision for others. That provision may be a shared story, a knowing glance, or a steady hand during the storm. When parents give from that place, they honor both their own loss and the pain of others. Suffering does not always divide people. Sometimes, suffering connects us more deeply than joy ever could.
Those who grieve often learn how to care without judgment. That caring becomes a form of healing, both for others and for the grieving heart. No one can return what was taken. But a single act of compassion can restore someone’s sense of being seen. A grieving parent may not feel strong. But the willingness to provide comfort from within sorrow reveals strength of the highest kind. Kindness becomes the true measure of progress.
Thought for today: Give what you can, even from your grief. A small offering can mean everything to someone holding too little.