I sometimes get asked to donate books to children's hospitals and sick kids. I try to do it whenever I'm asked. Honestly feels like the lowest possible bar for sharing kindness in the world but it's still hard to do sometimes. I feel really upset about that a lot, but it's true.

A very kind soul who organizes a bunch of charity and fundraising comic related events for kids (I won't tag him here) let me know about a sick kid who loved Marvel and wanted to read some books. His mom took him to the shop but they found it very intimidating, which I get.

Comics is so big and such a culture unto itself, if you don't know what you like already it can be overwhelming. We forget that sometimes.

Anyway, this kind soul asked if I'd consider sending the boy some signed books and a note. I said of course I would.

I got together a big box of my stuff, maybe 100 comics, signed them all. I also dug into my personal collection and found some signed books from writers I love @BRIANMBENDIS, @thesteveorlando, @atlasincognita, @definitelyvita, and a few more and threw those in too.

I asked a couple Marvel writer buddies if they'd send boxes as well and they did. I am really lucky to be able to count some very kind and generous people as my friends and co-workers.

I received word just now that the boy passed away over the weekend. But his family wanted to let me know what the comics meant to him and how happy they made him in his final days.

If I'm being honest it really wrecked me. I knew he was very sick and this was likely, but just reading it, it hollowed me out.

I'm not sharing this for any kind of praise or sympathy. I wrote my name on some comics and put them in the mail. I am under no delusions I did a great thing. Like I said before, it feels like the bare minimum.

But as I sit here trying to put words to how I'm feeling all I can think is how the world can be a remarkably dark and cruel place. And in knowing that I really feel like we have a responsibility to each other, and to ourselves, to try to combat that when we can.

I'm incredibly lucky to have the job I do, to be allowed to work with these characters that mean so much to people, that inspire them and bring them joy. I need to work harder and remind myself more often to use this privilege to help spread that joy.

I don't fully know why I wrote all this down. I just didn't want to sit here with these thoughts right now and not put something out into the world. I guess I don't really have a point beyond "please be kind to each other."