Appearances

I was reminded again about how often we look at outward appearances and label a person from what we can see.

recently i was on the train.  near me, sat this very tan woman, who just exuded confidence and strength.  it wasn't in anything she said, but it was just her presence. 

after some time, she spoke, and rather timidly, which surprised me.

and then, later in the evening, after i went to try to sleep, she spoke with my friend--telling her the tragedies in her life, of her parents dying, her daughter dying, and then more recently of her husband dying.  my friend said she began to cry, and her recounting of this story just reminded me again and again of how we try to keep up appearances when, really, we're all broken inside, and how most people just don't know.