A few years ago, my wife Shannon, along with our Daughter-in-law Keria, and our grandson Mikey went to get some breakfast at a McDonald’s. After ordering their food, they went to find a booth. Keria settled in with our grandson, while Shannon waited in the short line for some condiments.
Before returning to her table, a disheveled, blind man walked up to her and indignantly demanded, “Hey lady, get me some sugar for my coffee!” She calmly replied, “Sure,” and handed him a few sugar packets.
He then made another demand. “And lady, tell me when my van gets here!” To which she replied, “Sure. What does it look like?” There was a momentary pause before they both burst into laughter. After all, how would a blind person know what his van looked like?
She then asked him if he’d like to join them at their table. It was then, that his demeanor completely changed and he expressed his gratitude for the invitation.
He joined them at the table where they briefly exchanged pleasantries. A few minutes later, his van pulled up. He thanked Shannon again, made his goodbyes, and exited the restaurant with a new pep in his step like he was walking on cloud nine.
I aspire to walk in Shannon’s footsteps when I am challenged to be kind in the face of rude or uncalled-for behavior. How bout you?
