I’m pretty good at shaking it off. But over time, things build up.

It’s the little stuff, the things I don’t focus on. Minor frustrations, annoyances and discomforts. The things that don’t seem like that big of a deal at the time. I push them aside to deal with some other time. They’re the ones that pile up in the background.

I put effort into tackling the heavy problems, while neglecting the grains of sand collecting in the corners.

Over time, that weight adds up — I’m brought to my limit without realizing it. And when something significant inevitably happens, I don’t have the strength to carry it all.

Then comes the collapse, crushed from the weight of a thousand tiny pebbles topped with a boulder.

It’s happened before, and it will happen again. I’m not a rookie, I’ll be fine. But that understanding doesn’t make it any less painful in the moment.

We all struggle with this on occasion. We’re all human.

The boulders are inevitable. But in our daily interactions with others, the simplest gesture of kindness can remove a handful of pebbles.

Everything adds up.