Hailey, a blogger and mother, was driving to work one day when she found herself stuck behind an older SUV. She grew frustrated with the slow-moving vehicle until she got close enough to read the sign posted on its back window. The message read, “Learning stick, sorry for any delay.” Hailey was struck by a sudden realization about herself, not the driver in the SUV.
She took a photo of the sign and shared it on Facebook, along with her newfound understanding about the people we share the road and the world with. Hailey recognized that she had been more patient with the driver because she knew they were learning to drive stick. She then asked herself, “Would I have been just as patient if the sign hadn’t been there?” The answer was no.
Hailey came to the conclusion that we don’t know what someone is going through. We don’t wear signs that illustrate our personal struggles. If we could read visually what those around us are going through, we would 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. Hailey urged everyone to give everyone an extra dose of patience, kindness, and love.
Hailey’s realization and the hand-scribbled message on the back window of the SUV served as a teaching lesson to others. They reminded people that we should always try to be kind to one another, even when we don’t know what someone is going through.
