My sense is that since we have been there before, we have more compassion and understanding than maybe a lot of people would because we've had that experience,

Understanding comes with compassion and compassion comes with truthfulness

We have to make mistakes, it's how we learn compassion for others.

How much can we ever know about the love and pain in another heart? How much can we hope to understand those who have suffered deeper anguish, greater deprivation, and more crushing disappointments than we ourselves have known?

And when I came in with tears in my eyes, you always knew whether I needed you to hold me or just let me be. I don't know how you knew, but you did, and you made it easier for me.

"Honesty" without compassion and understanding is not honesty, but subtle hostility.