No, I’m not talking about jumping off that bridge! I see it everyday, we jump to quick conclusions about why people might be possibly acting the way they are, usually in a negative light. We get easily irritated and usually automatically thing people are just being rude. However, have you ever thought about other possibilities? We all put on some sort of face when we leave the house, not wanting someone to know that inside things are not going completely as normal. So I ask you to consider….
That woman who just cut you off in traffic…might be racing to the hospital to be with a loved one after a horrible phone call about an accident.
Your child who is withdrawing from you every day….might not want to burden you with the fact they are being bullied at school.
Your friend who is not returning your calls all of sudden…might be afraid you will read between the lines and realize she is being abused by her husband.
The old man in front of you at the grocery store taking a very long time counting his money…might be struggling with the early stages of Alzheimer’s and realizes that things are never going to be the same.
A friend who declined an initiation to your baby shower with no valid reason…might have just taken her 12th negative pregnancy test this year and can’t bring herself to talk about it without breaking down uncontrollably.
The co-worker who no longer joins you at the lunch table…might be in his office researching the diagnosis of cancer his son just received and is too shocked and scared to share the news with anyone.
There are so many struggles that people face in this world that can explain behavior that we quickly assume as being rude. Let’s face it, some people can be rude for no reason. However, I encourage you to think about consider the fact that there might be something else going on. Be a friend and ask them if there is anything they want to talk about. Keeping it all in can be the biggest battle and people need to be listened to sometimes and feel some compassion.
