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What would you do?
Thursday, I went to Jackson for a semi-annual check up with my “main” doctor. As with everything I do, by the time I arrive…I am almost nuts and stressed trying to get everything…including myself..in line! As I pulled into the parking spot near the clinic…got out of the car ( to of course, rain)…and this man pulls up behind me and says “don’t you even know how to park??? how do you think the person next to you is going to get out???” Well, I walked around my car and there was plenty of room for the other driver to enter or exit…but my tire was maybe an inch on the white line. As I turned to say something to him, I could see his poor wife just holding her head…at first, ya’ll I just wanted to “light into that guy” and give him a piece of my mind …telling him to mind his own business…then I thought…what if I just broke into tears and started a sob story about how I just learned I had a terrible disease and could not see well between the tears…but you know what…all the sudden, from the back of my heart…came my mother’s words…”kill them with kindness.” I always hated when she said that to me…I wanted to scream and shout at people…but the words of a precious mother won out…I turned to the man and said “you know what, you are right…I did park to close to that car and didn’t even realize what I had done…I will straighten my car right now and thank you for taking time to point the mistake out to me.” I wish you could have seen that man’s face…I just messed up the rant he had planned and ready for me…I just gave him my best “Mary Ruth” (my mother) smile…and moved the car.
Are we teaching our children to show love…or we teaching them to think of others? I wonder if I am/did. What would my children have thought when that man said that…how would they have handled the situation. Don’t ever doubt the influence your words and actions are having on your children.
When I left the clinic, I went to Dickey’s house to see my grandsons who had just flown in from Fl…plus my 4 month old grandson. Connor and Preston had a friend visiting. The “big” boys and I were sitting around the table eating a late lunch…and I told them the story of what happened…I didn’t tell them what I did, I asked them what they would do. Much to my surprise, Connor immediately said he would check out the situation and try to correct the problem…Preston said he would jump out and tell the man off…Jude (the guest) said he would scream at the man also…even Dickey said he would have given that man a piece of his mind. When I told them that I had “heard” my mother’s words…I did what she would have wanted me to do.
What would your children “hear” in their mind?
As parents, God has entrusted us with the teaching of our children…remember words are powerful weapons….use them with care.
Great story and life lesson. Ur mother certainly would have handled it the same way and im sure she is looking down smiling!!
Such good advice, Sue, as I grow older I hear my mother’s voice more often!! She was always right!
What a wonderful “story”. I believe society as a whole would benefit exponentially if we would not let our mouths not override our brains. Way to go, Ms Sue! I’ll be sure to share this with my children.
Very good Sue! A memory as I have been short-tempered of late. I hope you are well.