Misery loves company. That's the expression, right? And since I've been fairly miserable a good portion of my life, when I was younger I would try to make others miserable also. But it took some time until I figured out that when I did this, it didn't ease the misery in me, it just added to it. There was no lessening of my burden by inflicting it on others.
So I decided to be a beacon of hope for others instead. I can't stop myself from being miserable, but I can damn sure make it so others don't feel that way.
Whether it's telling stupid jokes, checking in on people, lending a sympathetic ear, offering advice, being a shoulder to cry on (sometimes literally), or just cheering for their accomplishments, I do what I can so others can be happier. Maybe it makes up for the pain I caused earlier in my life, maybe not. But I don't do it for that, I do it cuz it makes me feel good to do so.
