The world was in shock, to say the least, as we watched the crown be removed from the head of Miss Colombia and placed onto Miss Philippines as Steve Harvey’s eyes filled with remorse. The mistake reverberated throughout the universe, going as far as starting riots. Immediately, the Internet swelled with insults, memes, and those who felt incredibly sorry for poor Miss Colombia, who was smiling even as the crown was lifted off her. Usually, the winner gets all the glory, but this year is different. The spotlight is on Miss Colombia, as the other contestants rushed to embrace her and people around the world took to the Internet to express their condolences. But why?

Many people could say that they relate to Miss Colombia. The excitement of winning Miss Universe must’ve been so uplifting, only to be crushed moments later. Unfortunately, all of us watching know too well that feeling of having the rug pulled out from underneath us. As we watched the crown be taken away from her, we might’ve remembered a time where life was going so well but suddenly took a turn for the worse. We might’ve remembered a time where we were crushed by a huge loss. Most of all, we admired her strength as she continued to put forth her best foot for the time being, in front of millions of people, even as her dreams and hard work came crashing down—a feat most of us could not accomplish. Even in her loss, she became an entity of strength for everyone worldwide, with people making statements like “If Miss Colombia can survive last night, you can make it through Monday.” For her performance in such a discouraging moment, Ariadna Gutierrez might have earned the title of Miss Universe.

The rightful winner, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, can also be sympathized with. Although her dreams came true, her win is definitely tainted with all the attention on the runner up. We can imagine how bittersweet it must’ve been to earn the title, but to also have to remove the crown from another’s head to wear it herself and, in the process, crushing another woman’s dreams. We can admire both women’s strength in such a haphazard moment.

Congratulations, Miss Philippines!