"Leave My Cookies Alone!"

"Arriving at the airport early enough to get through check-in and security in time to make a flight has become a modern art. I recently heard about a woman who, having maneuvered through the single-file portal of entry to her gate, paused to pick up a snack---chocolate-covered cookies and a hot cup of coffee. She looked for a speaker where she could moniter the boarding call and found a seat with a small table between herself and another passenger, a man who appeared fully engrossed in the USA Today sports section. Unloading the coffee, carry-on bags, and purse from her arms, she paused to retrieve the latest edition of People magazine and settled in to enjoy the coffee and cookies before the call to board. What happened next was beyond belief. She unwrapped the package of cookies, took out the first of her newfound indulgences, and began reading her magazine. The man with the newspaper next to her simply reached over, pulled the cookies to his side of the table, and proceeded to eat a cookie without any apparent consideration for the woman. Her frustration and discomfort with the situation began to escalate. She tried to focus on her magazine and ignore what had happened. But then she reached for another cookie, and within a moment, he, too, reached to take another. She felt the heat of anger rising within. Then it happened! She reached for the last cookie, but before her hand got beyond the edge of her magazine, his hand was on it...She glared at him with indignation. He calmly broke the cookie in half, offered her the other half, shrugged his shoulders, and gathered his things in response to the call to board... The woman spent the next hour and a half seething at the nerve, the gall, the arrogance of a man who would act in such a self-indulging manner. She began to imagine a conversation between herself and this man, confronting him after the flight. The shock of the events that unfolded in the airport had left her speechless, but now she knew just what to do. "I'll write a note of protest and deliver it as we exit the plane", she thought. She reached into her bag for a pen and paper and, to her surprise, discovered her unopened sleeve of chocolate cookies. The cookies on the table actually belonged to the man with the newspaper! Life is like that...It is not until we shift our focus and change our perspective...that we are able to come to terms with our own reality glitches." ~ story by David H. Mckinley in "The Search for Satisfaction".

This short story spoke to me when I read it. It reminded me that so often my heartfelt judgement calls are totally inaccurate to the situation that I am confronted with, in daily life. Hastily, I jump to conclusions without really knowing the whole story. Many times over the years, I have discovered that there truly is more to the story than I am aware of...and upon learning one little fact(like her unopened pack of chocolate cookies) can make all of the difference in my perspective. I pray for patience as I face life's many glitches. I wish each of you an opportunity today, to share your cookies with those you come in contact with.