Your post made me emotional too, TheAten. It touched me deeply.
You are feeling empathy again, feelings I think are suppressed with alcohol. A bit of a blunt instrument.
For myself, think I was so filled with self loathing it spilled into the dismissal and disregard of others around me.
I'm starting to feel it more consistently now, and it's a good feeling indeed.
I used to be really angry with my mother, now dead. Some good reasons, sure. But when I reflect cannot help but see how hard she tried. Alcoholic husband, tribe of kids. It's a wonder she wasn't on the first coach out of Dodge.
Sober brings better, more complex feelings, that's for sure.