It made me happy knowing that someone actually read my story and took the time to leave such a thoughtful message. I get so excited seeing those notifications.

Thank you for letting me know that my writing is good.

While I'm still not great at accepting compliments - perhaps it's because, having been raised by parents and teachers who called me stupid/idiot, I was made to believe that I'm inferior and undeserving of any praise, and that "good" is something I'll never be - I really appreciate your kind words.

Encouragement like this keeps me from giving up; it helps to slowly undo all those negative things that were imprinted on me.

You're right about the lack of empathy; it's a common issue, and I'm guilty of it on occasion too. It often takes experiencing certain things, related or not, to truly change our perception.

These days, I've learned to take a pause and remind myself: don't judge, people have their reasons. I can't expect everyone in my path to have empathy for my situation, as long as they don't try to rub salt into my wounds.

The writing community, from my personal experience, has a greater capacity for empathy.

I think it's due to the very nature of writing and broad reading, which differs from verbal conversation: writers and readers get to fully articulate and absorb a complete perspective before responding.

In my case, I read, I pause, and I reflect before I respond.

Things are certainly different here on Steemit, perhaps because I'm still new. It definitely takes time to build something.

Thank you again. May you be blessed for your kindness.