We come into the world alone, unlike all who have gone before us; we leave it alone under circumstances peculiar to ourselves. ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton, from Solitude of Self, Address delivered before the Committee of the Judiciary of the United States Congress, Monday, January 18, 1892.
And no two people are the same, nor can we understand what goes on inside another’s mind. Empathy and support are ‘kind’ and ‘good’, but ultimately, we are alone. Not only do we need the knapsack of tools and the skills with which to navigate; we also need the knowledge that we ourselves must take initiative for the courses that our lives take.