You are so right! Those small gifts of empathy have so much more value than words! Early on, when there was so little control over my pain and swelling, I met a friend for lunch, one I didn't see often. She knew that I was diagnosed and in treatment but we hadn't discussed how things were going and I hadn't seen her for a while. It wasn't a great day and when our salads arrived I struggled to cut mine and laid the knife down because of the pain. She gently put her hand on mine, said "May I?" and when I nodded, slid the salad over, cut it up and slid it back with a smile. No fuss, no muss. That she was aware enough to see my pain and difficulty while I tried to hide it and muddle through and that she offered what I needed and no more, not embarrassing me or making a big deal out of it, and feeling comfortable enough to do so meant the world to me. That's true empathy.