Observation and State of Being

This is not intended to be a criticism of any person or people in particular, but what I have observed is simply a general characteristic of culture—one that should not be for Christians in community together.
Here is my observation:
About four weeks ago, a little girl that I had known since birth died. Because I was close to this girl and her family, her death was hard for me. As I went through that first day, I noticed something interesting. Several people, not knowing what had happened would give the customary greeting of, “How are you?”, breaking only half a step on their way to some class or task, expecting the usual positive reply. But I could not answer, “fine” or “well”, and so, when I said “terrible” or “awful,” most people stopped, mid-step, would turn around in surprise, usually not prepared to give the time or care to find out what was wrong and how they could help. Of course, once I did give my negative answer, people would stick around to listen as I gave as abbreviated a reply as possible to their questions. They would then express their sympathy before moving on. This is not to say that this was the case with every person, but a general pattern emerged as the day went on. It seems a terrible shame that the question: “How are you?” – a question about the very state the being of a person’s body and soul, should be relegated to become the equivalent of “hello!” or “hi.” It is just as regrettable that anyone should feel a twinge of guilt for proffering anything but an upbeat answer.
Perhaps it is time to reclaim the question “how are you?”, and to bring it up from equality with general greetings. If you have neither the time nor the inclination to find out how a person is really doing and what the condition of their soul truly is, then please do not ask, “How are you doing?”. That is simply an irresponsible use of the English language. Use the words that we already have for a quick salutation; there are many of them. It is important to remember that each person has a story different from that of anyone else, and each person bears the image of God upon their being. Therefore, take more care with what you say and be prepared and willing to know the other person’s story. On the other hand, if you are asked how you are doing, do not shy away from answering honestly. If we all speak truthfully to one another, we can truly begin to sympathize with others. This is what it means to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep. The manifold, or multi-faceted, wisdom of God will be displayed much more clearly when we become willing to make ourselves vulnerable enough to hear and to give the stories of our lives.