- November 26, 2024
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The best advice I’ve ever gotten was, “Never judge another, because you never know the reality that person may be dealing with in that moment.”
Stephen Covey tells the story of a man riding the train in New York City who becomes agitated by another man who comes on the train and ignores his children as they run up and down the aisle of the train screaming, yelling and carrying on. The first man could feel his blood begin to boil and inside he began judging this father. After all, what a terrible father this man must be to have such unruly children, to have no respect for anyone on the train. He just couldn’t take it anymore. He put his paper aside and abruptly told the man to please control his children.
The man looked up at him with a dazed look on his face and apologized, explaining that he had just left the hospital, where he lost his wife and wasn’t sure how he was going to explain all of this to his children. In an instant, the first man’s demeanor changed. His judgment of the father, his own physical state — all of it changed. He was flooded with empathy for this man and his children.
As a School Board member, mom, wife, daughter or neighbor, when I come across someone who is cross or a little bit ugly in the way they speak or act, I remind myself to withhold judgment, that I don’t know their story or the reality that they may be living with at that moment.
I try to teach my children that those are the exact times when God needs us to show a little more kindness, patience, understanding and love.
