I was driving around our neighborhood today delivering our newsletter. I came to a cul de sac and there was this young lady, maybe 13 or 13, sitting on the side of the curb. She was crying as quietly as she could but the pain on her young face was evident. Her eyes were red and she was slumped over.

I was genuinely worried about her. I stopped to pick up my daughter who was putting newsletters in mailboxes and ask the young lady if she was ok. She said yes and I followed up with a comment about asking if it was a rough day. She nodded and said yeah. She looked so forlorn and for a few minutes I was 14 again - feeling lost and under pressure from so many directions, and lack in coping skills but not in hormones.

And then I did what I thought I might have needed when I was her age. I got out and asked her if I could give her a hug. She laughed nervously and said she was fine but she moved towards quickly. I held her for a few seconds and whispered it would be ok and she'd get through it. We let go and she told me it was teachers and school. I just listened for a second and told her it would pass, that things were never as bad as they seemed.

I looked over at my daughter who usually thinks I'm crazy anyway and this time was no exception. I got her back in the car just as the mother of the young lady pulled up. She too dutifully got in the car and I watched her sad face as they pulled away.