This is a really powerful sentiment. I understand why people’s instinct is to close up, because social protocol often involves people asking things in a superficial way (I don’t mind so much when people ask stuff like “how are you” without expecting a real answer, but I hate when people actually offer concrete help and then get annoyed at you behind your back for accepting said offer). However, we do live in a society shrouded with such social protocol, so if we do want to be there for someone, it’s tremendously useful to make that overtly clear.