Trump's statement yesterday was a kick in the gut.

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23. My heart goes out to those who have suffered in losing a child.

My awed admiration goes out to those whose life's work is caring for such families.

A few years ago, I worked for my state's health exchange assisting callers to sign up for either Medicaid or a Qualified Health Plan. Many of the people with whom I spoke were in rough situations. Sometimes a person would lose their eligibility for Medicaid just because they got a 50 cent an hour raise. One woman had lost her grown daughter and could not stop crying over the phone. Other families were desperately waiting for their names to appear on the Medicaid rolls so that they could take a family member to receive urgently needed health care.

That job, along with some tough losses in my own life, pretty much broke me. I was unable to maintain what is sometimes called "survivor detachment." I was unable to continue working because I internalized everyone's pain.

People who can give of their support and strength to strangers and still be whole people for themselves and their loved ones are the most significant heroes in the world. They are even more inspirational than those who face physical danger to help others, because physical threats often stir a boost of adrenaline that push the body's responses into overdrive.

Compassion is the strongest emotion in the world. And it takes incredible strength to wield it.