If you have a friend or family member with breast cancer, try not to look at her with ’sad eyes.’ Treat her like you always did just show a little extra love.

The quote argues that compassion is best expressed through steadiness rather than pity. “Sad eyes” symbolizes the indication—often unintentional—that a person is being reduced to a diagnosis or treated as fragile. Kotb urges loved ones to preserve the patient’s sense of normal identity by interacting as they always have, while adding “extra love” in concrete, affirming ways. The underlying significance is psychological: social cues can either isolate someone with cancer or help them feel anchored in ordinary life. It reframes support as respectful presence and continuity, not constant grief or anxious attention.