Joe is writing about a passage from Wonder by R. J. Palacio.

I walked toward Jack and followed him out of the auditorium. He held the double doors open for me, and as I passed by, he looked at me right in the face, kind of daring me to look back at him, which I did. Then I actually smiled. I don't know. Sometimes when I have the feeling like I'm almost crying, it can turn into an almost-laughing feeling. And that must have been the feeling I was having then, because I smiled, almost like I was going to giggle.

Which best shows that Joe is using a personal connection to understand August’s character?

I know how it feels to want to laugh and cry at once. When my family had my grandfather’s funeral, we were very sad. But still we laughed, remembering Grandpa’s funny jokes. I understand how August felt.
I know how August must be feeling. Sometimes I am just so happy I want to cry, like the time I got a bike for my birthday. I cried happy tears.
Just thinking about August makes me want to cry. It must be so hard to be so different looking and have so many physical challenges. I feel sorry for him, because he just wants to have friends, and nobody likes him.
August made people feel uncomfortable because he was different. He did not mean to, but he sometimes made little children cry and older people laugh. I think that is what the story means about laughing and crying.