“Whenever we have the opportunity, we should be kind to everyone." ~ Galatians 6:10
Libby saw him out of the corner of
her eye when he cut her off on a beeline to his ‘rightful’ place in the pharmacy’s
waiting line. There was tension in his
manner, a tightness in his face, hardness in his eyes. Every move was as if he had some timer racing
in his head, perhaps the countdown to his next explosion.
Angry eyes were just the start, then came the impatience,
the intolerance and the clipped words. Annoyed
by the purchase, he blamed the clerk for the time he’d wasted in line and the
cost of the prescription; verbal hostility in front of the queue that became
his audience.
“I don’t’ know how you do it,” Libby said to the counter
clerk when it was finally her turn in line.
“You responded so gracefully, even asking if you could help in any way.”
“Thank you,” The young clerk said with only a slight curve
in her lips. “People are in pain here,”
she began, “or are waiting in line for loved ones who are ill. I’ve been there myself.”
“In fact,” she continued, “I’d just left my parents’ house
and was waiting in line for some meds for my father who was battling cancer,
when my sister called to tell me our mother had passed away. I just looked like
any other person standing in line at Walgreens that day.”
“Sometimes it takes going through difficult times to understand
the importance of being kind to unkind people … they need it the most.”
“Food for thought,” Libby remarked before completing her
purchase. But as she left the store, it
seemed like a fifteen-course gourmet meal had been prepared for her while
waiting in line. Wisdom learned should
be wisdom shared.
Now she’s trying harder to soothe her impatient self. As a result, her focus is improving, her relationships more mellow, and everything in her day seemed to work a little better.
It made all the difference. Over time she saw others learning from her,
relaxing, and the vibe of her friends and family took a turn for the better.
So be kind.
That person next to on the bus? They might be taking themselves to the
hospital for chemo.
That bad driver? They
may be rushing home because of an emergency.
That cranky customer?
He may be suffering from chronic pain.
That person who is smiling and friendly? They might actually be suffering from severe
depression. You may never know how much
a small act of kindness will change the trajectory of someone’s suffering.
