If I smile at you,
Please never think it's because no one smiled at me.
If I hold you,
Please don't wonder if anyone held me.
If I offer you my hand,
Please don't question if it's because I've been on the floor too.

Empathy
Is not
And should not be based
On past experiences.

I've gone through pain,
That's true,
Perhaps more,
Perhaps less than you.
But that's not what informs my heart.

We seem to believe pain and experience are synonyms, they are not.

If I smile at  you,
It's because I wish to smile at you,
If I hold you is because I wish to hold you,
If I offer you my hand
It's because I know you don't want to be on the floor.

If I feel for you,
It's because you exist.

I can't run a mile in your shoes,
But that shouldn't mean
I can't tell you have a heart.