The last time I flew (well, not me flying, but on a plane), my flights got messed up. I had 45 minutes between a connection. I just had a backpack and made the 1.07 miles between gates in 13.47 minutes (yes, I FitBitted it). It was crazy but I made it.
So there I was, on a plane I wasn't scheduled to be on and after beverage cart went through...the woman next to me spilled ginger ale on me.
How easy it would have been to be annoyed. But as she profusely apologized, I said no problem and helped her clean it up. And as we worked together, I learned her name was Jean and she was on her way home from a funeral. She'd just buried her second child. Her husband was sick at home and couldn't make the trip with her. For the next hour, she told me about her kids—the two she'd lost and the son she still had—and her pain was laid bare in each word. I make my living with words, but there are no words that can truly comfort a parent who's just buried a child. So I listened and did my woefully inadequate best to comfort her. And when we landed, she thanked me for listening and we went out separate ways.
I've thought about her often since then.
And remembering this incident reminds me to try to meet annoyances with empathy and kindness. There's a book I read years ago...the title sums it up, Wherever You Go, There You Are. I try to remember that and trust I'm where I'm supposed to be. I am an anxious traveler so that's always a challenge when there's a travel snafu. But moments like this remind me to do better in my attempts.
Empathy. The world could use more of that these days. Trying to be what Mr. Rogers referred to as a "Helper." Being Kind. Working for the common good. Offering a hand to those in need.
Sometimes all you can do is listen.
And while it might not be everything, it might be enough to ease someone's pain a little.
So I'm going to renew my efforts to remember that sometimes I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I might find I'm at exactly the right place at exactly the right time.
Holly
PS.
I'm so excited that in 2022 I'll be combining my two passions...writing and pottery. Yep, there's a new book coming out. A woman who RENEWS her life, follows her passion, maybe finds a relationship...and definitely finds a dead body. She needs to figure out who dunnit!
You can preorder A View to a Kiln: A Harry's Pottery Mystery, now!
Have you missed any of my Hometown Hearts series? Here's the list:
Something Unexpected: A Hometown Hearts short story
Amazon
A Hometown Christmas: Hometown Hearts #8
Kindle
Nook
AppleBooks
Kobo
