Here's Your Sign

One of my favorite movies is For Love of the Game. There is a scene in this movie where Kelly Preston's character suggests that life would be much easier if everyone could wear a sign around their neck with a message on it. It could be what the person is feeling, experiencing, etc. I thought about the scene in that movie today because I read a quote in an email that said, "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle!" Wow....how true. I think of my mother-in-law and the daily battle she faces watching her husband slip away. What if in her sleep-deprived oblivion she accidentally stepped in front of someone at the grocery store and they were rude to her. It seems that she should be exempt at this time from mindless cruelty and carelessness. How often do I snap thoughtlessly at strangers who cut me off on the freeway or steal "my spot" in the parking garage. What if their sign would read "my child is ill", "I'm going through a divorce", "my baby was screaming all night long"....etc etc. The truth is we don't know. We don't have the luxury of knowing each other's struggles. We must be kinder than necessary. Why do I think that my impatience or convenience is justified simply because I'm having a bad day. I'm so guilty of reckless emotion. I should be better. I should try harder. What might their signs say? If I could read them, how different my actions would be. This is how I felt.