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“Be kind-everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”.

Annie at the Gentle Kindness Blog recently wrote this post which reminded me immediately of an incident in my life. I felt inspired to share it here even though it may be “off topic” of my usual blogging. But this blog tends to get “off topic” so…

A little story about how we never know what someone is facing in their life, what their battle is, what they are on their way to face.

My story, I’ll try to make it quick. Many years ago, my mom passed away unexpectedly, shocking, horrifying. I flew home for the funeral. I was in a state of shock and terribly grieving. I was literally DRIVING TO THE FUNERAL. I made a minor mistake driving and sat through a green light too long. The person behind me, literally, road raged on me. Got out of his car and started yelling at me. I couldn’t believe it. I got out of my car and started screaming like a mad woman in the middle of the street that “my mom just died and I’m on my way to her #@%# funeral, you #@!& (jerk)!”. I was screaming and crying and shocked that someone could road rage like that. Something so small (missing a traffic light) versus something so big (grasping the death of my mom). I don’t remember a whole lot more of the incident as I was in a daze and a rage myself. I just know that after getting back in my car and pulling into a parking lot to cool down…that -THAT MAN-he did not follow me, he drove on, on with his day, on with his life… and I hope he thinks twice the next time he wants to be mean, unforgiving and cruel to someone. “You never know the battle they are facing”. You never know if they are on their way to their mom’s funeral. Thank you to Gentle Kindness Blog for reminding me of this powerful incident in my life. I wish to try to live my life always telling myself that I never know where “that person” is driving to, who they may have lost in their life, where their grief may be, what “battle they may be facing” and I will hopefully remember to show strangers grace as I cross their paths in this world.