Don’t picture them in their underwear.

Picture them placing a child’s scribbles on their refrigerator, thinking about someone doing the same for them in their younger years. Wondering who did. Hoping someone did.

Picture them breathing deeply in their car, smoothing their hair, and patting their thighs before walking into a meeting that feels like they’ve waited their whole life for.

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Picture them putting Christmas lights on their front porch railing, working hard to ensure they’re all perfectly placed to create the most magical winter wonderland for passersby young and old, grumbling through the tangles yet not giving up.

Picture them retrieving their mail on a day they felt a little tossed aside and seeing a handwritten letter from an old friend.

Picture them splashing cold water over their face, bent over their bathroom sink in an attempt to soothe a panic attack after a really hard conversation.

Picture them being greeted by their dog at the end of the worst day of their lives.

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Picture them when the good part of their favorite movie comes on, excitedly nudging the person beside them, anxious to soak in their reaction.

Don’t picture the audience naked. The next time you have a hard conversation, difficult interaction, nerve-wracking interview, or feel like everything is at stake meeting . . . remember, at our core, we are all just children. Stumbling through each day, trying our very best, longing to belong, forever in need of a puppy dog greeting, fridge hanging affirmation, and a handwritten letter.

And just like that, nerves are more easily fought and grace is more freely given.

Originally published on the author’s Instagram page