Yesterday I took Chewy to the dog park like I often do before I pick up Noah from school. He gets nice and worn out so I can play with Noah for the rest of the afternoon. When I got to the park there was only one lady there with her dog so we engaged in polite conversation about our dogs and the park where we were. This lady was not shy about telling me all the things that this dog park had that she didn't like, and why the park she usually goes to is soooo much better. In the first 4 minutes of the conversation she had used every curse word in the book..and then some. It was making me a little uncomfortable and I tried to excuse myself and go sit on the bench, but she followed me. She just kept going on and on about the things in her life she didn't like. before I knew it she was going on and on about her son's high school and all the things she didn't like about it. I don't even know how we got there in conversation. I felt sorry for this lady. How miserable it must be to always look for the downside to things. I had no other option but to reach deep inside my soul and pull out my old youth minister trick when teens would give me their sob story.
First, i started to smile. It's hard to be in a bad mood when someone is standing there smiling at you. Next, I starting asking her what the best part of her son being at that school was. I asked in a way where she thought I was really interested in the school and not in just trying to get something positive out of her. Then, I started complimenting her dog. I mean what bad things can you say to someone when they are complimenting something you love?!? I saw her whole demeanor change. She could tell I wasn't interested in the negative stuff and just kind of stood there in silence. I was hearing the words "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" echo in my head as we stood there in awkward silence. She broke the silence by asking me what time my son got off the bus and I told her I pick him up from school. Well, she didn't like that one bit. She must have yelled at the top of her lungs that she can't believe people waste 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week sitting in carpool line. She was going on and on about all that wasted time. I waited for her to finish her rant and then I calmly explained how I see that time very different than she does. There is no other time in my day when i am forced to sit and be still with nothing to do. I usually bring a prayer book or pray a rosary. Sometimes i lay my seat back and take a nap. Sometimes I just sit with the windows open, car turned off watching all the people come and go. It is very peaceful and not at all a waste of my time. PLUS, i am willing to sit there so my child doesn't get home an hour later than we would if he rode the bus. Anything i can do to spend more time with my child is never wasted time. I couldn't help but think that maybe this lady needed a little quiet prayer time in her life.
There will always be stuff in our life that we don't want to do. We can't change that, but we can change how we look at it. We can change our attitude toward it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am thankful that i can see the beauty in things. I am thankful I ran in to this lady because it made me re examine what areas in my life I don't see the beauty in and how I can change my attitude to do so. I am also going to add her to my prayer list in hopes that she will find some inner peace about all the things in her life she sees as a burden and not a blessing. Is there something in your life that you see as a burden more than a blessing? I would love to hear how you deal with it....
First, i started to smile. It's hard to be in a bad mood when someone is standing there smiling at you. Next, I starting asking her what the best part of her son being at that school was. I asked in a way where she thought I was really interested in the school and not in just trying to get something positive out of her. Then, I started complimenting her dog. I mean what bad things can you say to someone when they are complimenting something you love?!? I saw her whole demeanor change. She could tell I wasn't interested in the negative stuff and just kind of stood there in silence. I was hearing the words "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" echo in my head as we stood there in awkward silence. She broke the silence by asking me what time my son got off the bus and I told her I pick him up from school. Well, she didn't like that one bit. She must have yelled at the top of her lungs that she can't believe people waste 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week sitting in carpool line. She was going on and on about all that wasted time. I waited for her to finish her rant and then I calmly explained how I see that time very different than she does. There is no other time in my day when i am forced to sit and be still with nothing to do. I usually bring a prayer book or pray a rosary. Sometimes i lay my seat back and take a nap. Sometimes I just sit with the windows open, car turned off watching all the people come and go. It is very peaceful and not at all a waste of my time. PLUS, i am willing to sit there so my child doesn't get home an hour later than we would if he rode the bus. Anything i can do to spend more time with my child is never wasted time. I couldn't help but think that maybe this lady needed a little quiet prayer time in her life.
There will always be stuff in our life that we don't want to do. We can't change that, but we can change how we look at it. We can change our attitude toward it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am thankful that i can see the beauty in things. I am thankful I ran in to this lady because it made me re examine what areas in my life I don't see the beauty in and how I can change my attitude to do so. I am also going to add her to my prayer list in hopes that she will find some inner peace about all the things in her life she sees as a burden and not a blessing. Is there something in your life that you see as a burden more than a blessing? I would love to hear how you deal with it....
1 comments:
I am so glad you posted this. I was having the same issue yesterday, well I actually have this problem everyday. People at my job just complain and complain and complain. It can really get to a person who isn't a complainer and enjoys life. to be surrounded by such negativity all the time is tiresome.
thank you for just smiling. this is a great way to not only make you feel better, but could indeed make the situation better.
Its ok to complain at times, we all do it, but life is so good. Be thankful for what you have.
Smile!
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