acceptance and opening of one’s heart to life’s pain

Some of my acts of kindess of late have been directed towards myself. I’m going through a tough time, and have tried to ignore that pain and “put on a happy face” for others. But I’ve started to realize that ignoring my pain is like ignoring the cries of a small child — most cruel. Furthermore, “putting on a happy face” doesn’t help others; it just cuts off real connections with others. So, in trying to be kind and listening to those cries of pain, my hope is that I can heal, which in turn will help me truely connect with and/or help others.