There are moments on the road when another traveler casts a stone in your direction — a sharp word, a careless judgment, a bitterness that seems to have little to do with you at all. It is easy to brace against it, to answer flint with flint. But most of the time, such shadows are not truly aimed at you. They rise from someone else’s storm.

A person who pauses their own journey just to wound another is often wandering through a difficult season, carrying burdens they have not yet named. Their anger is a lantern turned inward, burning them long before its light reaches you.

When you meet such a traveler, consider offering compassion instead of armor. Ask, gently, what sorrow they are carrying. Ask how you might help lighten it, even if only by listening. Not every harsh voice deserves your defense — some simply need your kindness.

In this way, the road becomes a little softer for all who walk it.