BRAVE MONDAY — We All Need Encouragement

There are more people crying out for encouragement than we realize.
Not loudly.
Not in ways that are easy to notice.

They cry out by going quiet.
By withdrawing.
By carrying on while slowly losing strength.

Many don't need advice.
They don't need solutions or explanations.
They need to know they are not invisible.

Sometimes all a person is holding on to is the hope that someone will say something —
one honest sentence that tells them they are seen, that they matter, that they should keep going.

Encouragement is not weakness.
It is not flattery.
It is recognition.

A few words, spoken at the right moment, can interrupt despair.
They can steady someone who is close to giving up.
They can remind a tired mind that it does not carry everything alone.

You may never know how close someone is to the edge.
That is why encouragement should not be saved for later.

And if you are the one crying out quietly —
let this be said clearly:

You are not weak for needing encouragement.
You are human.

Stay.
Continue.
This moment is not the whole story.

And if you have the chance this week, say the words.
Don't withhold them.

Many are crying out.
Sometimes encouragement is all that stands between someone and collapse.

Best wishes
Raymond and Ken