Here's a story: 6 or so years ago, I was on a flight from NY to California with my friend Lisa. I had the aisle seat, Lisa the middle, and another woman the window. We were all women with ample curves so there was much thigh touching, which... 1/

the woman in the window seat complained about. She muttered about not having space, about Lisa touching her, about how hot she was, how uncomfortable. I was irked. I debated telling her to shut the hell up because we're all miserable and she's making it worse. But Lisa... 2/

Lisa took a different tact. She commiserated with her, got her talking about where she was headed. At first, I didn't get it because this woman was awful, right? But Lisa is the best of us and before I knew it, the window seat woman was telling us that she was fighting cancer.

That she had to make this trip because of that cancer, and the chemo gave her hot flashes and made her sweaty and not want to be touched.
Friends, I'd almost told that woman off. That was a pivotal moment in my adulthood, watching Lisa and her compassion in action.

I think about that moment all the time. Many, many times since I've asked myself: What would Lisa do in this situation?
I thought about this moment again upon finding out that Chadwick Boseman was privately fighting cancer.
You never know what someone is going through.