The store was crowded on Saturday. So. Many. People. I was slowly maneuvering my cart around the merchandise in the middle of the aisle and making my way over to my husband, when a woman going the other direction with her cart glared at me and yelled, "You're going the wrong way!"
I immediately looked down to see if there was an arrow on the floor or something, but I didn't see one. I moved my cart to the side as much as I could and let her by me anyway. She was wearing a mask, and every muscle in her upper face looked tense and angry, so I was betting she wasn't smiling as she went around me. She didn't look at me.
I was hoping she would, though.
I was also wearing a mask, but I wanted her to see that I understood. I wanted her to see kindness in my eyes---that I totally sympathize with how she's feeling. It's been a hard year. A learning year of what it feels like to have your entire world changed. The way we live, the way we interact, and even the way we shop is different. The learning curve of the last nine months has been steep and difficult for everyone.
But the more I think about what happened on Saturday, the more I can see myself in the lady who yelled at me. Sometimes it's so easy to be the person who is annoyed and tense, but I'm trying harder to be the person who listens with her heart. Who sees beyond the words. I want to be the person who hopes that lady got some rest. Maybe bought herself a treat. Or got a phone call from a loved one. I want to act with love more than anything else---even in the face of frustration and unkindness. So, I'm going to work on that. But today I just want to say, WalMart lady, I hope your day got better and I hope you know you are loved, even by people "going the wrong way."
No comments:
Post a Comment