"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to or feel like it"

I've had this happen a few times with people I care about but aren't quite ready to share my story with yet... I respond to the usual 'Hey man, how are you doing?'

with my go to vague-ish answer: 'I've honestly been struggling mentally, It's hard and comple and I hope to be able to share it with you... sometime'

And then after a sincere compassionate response, they respond with a variation on the line...

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to or feel like it" Delivered with a warm smile.

In some moments this response lead me to muster up the courage to tell them about it anyway, in others, I don't. But in all instances it eased my nerves and felt like this huge cloud hanging over my head shrinked and made way for a couple of warm sunrays.

It forces me to focus my always overthinking brain to analyzing my feelings instead of on the hypothetical ' what ifs'. It makes me take a second to sense what I'm feeling in that moment, and be completely behind any decision I make afterwards