It can be very frustrating when we find ourselves stuck in traffic. That is especially true when it seems like the person in front of us just doesn’t want to drive as quickly as we would like. Hailey is a busy mother who was in such a situation. She has a lot on the go so having free time is more of a luxury than something she experiences regularly. She always seems to be on the run and not only does she care for her family and her household, she even writes a blog as well.
Hailey was behind a vehicle and they were struggling to keep up with the speed limit. As I mentioned, this can be a very frustrating situation and Hailey was having a difficult time keeping her cool. There is no doubt that this can be a frustrating situation but when she stopped behind the vehicle at a stoplight, she saw that there was more than meets the eye. There was actually a very good reason why the driver was going so slowly.
She put a post on Facebook about the situation and it went viral. There was a note on the back window of the vehicle. She had no idea that spending a little bit of time behind them at a stoplight would change her outlook on life.
She wrote:
“As I was pulling into work, I was following this car. The sign in the back window said, ‘Learning stick sorry for any delay.’
Knowing this information, I was very patient with their slow shifting, and honestly, they were doing pretty well for still learning.
Then I asked myself a tough question: Would I have been just as patient if the sign hadn’t been there?”
“I can almost definitely say no.
We don’t know what someone is going through. We don’t wear signs that illustrate our personal struggles. You don’t see signs taped to people’s shirts that say, ‘Going through a divorce,’ or ‘Lost a child,’ or ‘Feeling depressed,’ or ‘Diagnosed with cancer.’
If we could read visually what those around us are going through we would definitely be nicer.
But we shouldn’t have to see signs and have reasons to treat strangers with kindness. We should do it anyway, whether we know what is going on or not. Whether they deserve it or not.
Let’s give everyone an extra dose of patience, kindness, and love…”
It was a hand-scribbled message but it touched her heart. She could have overreacted and sped around them but she took a deep breath and showed a little bit of tolerance.
It was an important message but it is one that we can all learn from in life. Be patient and give people the time that they need to get things done. We don’t all operate at the same speed.