Last night and this morning I've had a really hard time thinking of anything other than my brother. He is 5 years younger than me and deployed in the middle of this war... His job is sort of dangerous, and I just can't help but to keep him on my mind.
But as I was sipping my first cup of morning coffee, I got to thinking of how many other family members and loved ones out there are consumed with worry like I am. That woman that caused me to beep my horn out of frusteration yesterday could have been going 25 MPH in the "fast" lane because she was distracted on her cell phone with news about her child that is deployed... Maybe she was just talking nonsense, but maybe not. And instead of being sensitive to another person that might be going through just as much as my family is right now, I was impatient and completely insensitive.
You know, we have no idea what is going on in the lives of others. Take my mom for example. She has a son deployed overseas, and a daughter that hasn't been feeling the best. Add on any of the other stressers that life brings, and you just can't help but to feel sympathetic. But what if you didn't know all that? What if you were behind her in the grocery store line, her buggy full to the top, and when it came time to pay she suddenly realized that she'd forgotten her wallet at home. How would you react? Would you be annoyed? Would you mutter under your breath?
So that is my latest "self-check".
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