AUTHOR: Dr Susan Palmer
They are the people who, before everything changed, you never would have described as part of your inner circle.
And yet, when times get tough, they are the ones who keep turning up.
They’re not your closest friends. They’re often not the people you expected to be there. They are the quiet, unexpected supports who emerge during your hardest days and, in doing so, become one of the most precious parts of the experience.
It might be the neighbour three doors down, someone you’d only ever waved hello to.
An old school friend you haven’t seen in ten years.
A parent from your child’s class.
A work colleague you never socialised with.
Someone you chat to at the dog park.
These are the hidden supports.
I was reminded of the power of these people this weekend when I read a comment by Rosie Batty in The Age. She shared that, “People that you think are going to go the distance… you look around and realise you no longer hear from them.” She spoke honestly about the sense of abandonment and rejection that can follow. And then she added the part that matters just as much. The upside, she said, is that “amazing people come in.”
It can be hard to witness someone else’s pain. The discomfort, the helplessness, the fear of saying the wrong thing can cause people to step back. And when that happens, those who are already struggling can be left feeling very alone, at the exact moment community matters most.
But walking among us are what we call ‘hidden angels’.
They are the people who step forward when others step away. The ones who move beyond “let me know if you need anything” and instead show up, again and again. The ones who help in quiet, practical ways and, in doing so, build deep and lasting connections.
To all the hidden angels out there, this is for you.
Thank you.
You are the definition of empathy.
You are what community looks like when it really counts. 💛
