Some days you simply feel like nothing matters. That was me after missing a work deadline and replaying every mistake in my head all afternoon. Heading home, I stepped into the elevator, eyes on the floor.
An older woman was already there. She glanced at my sneakers and said, “I really like that color. Cheerful looking.” Just like that. A few seconds later, her floor came, and she stepped out.
I stood there alone for the rest of the ride, and something in my chest loosened. She did not pry or tell me to smile. She simply pointed out something small and nice about a person she did not even know. That unexpected little compliment reminded me I still existed in the world—and somehow, that carried me through the night.