I got yelled at by the mailman. My son's bus stop is a mile and a half from the house, and I pick him up in winter. Our mailboxes are centrally located at the bus stop. I was early, so I asked the mailman if there was mail for 320. Lord have mercy! He came close to blowing an artery. "I wish people would understand that it's Christmas and I have so many packages and mail. I can't just look for a certain address...." he stammered. I said, "Listen don't be angry, I'm not in a hurry. I'll drive down later, no problem."
He puffed off to the little mail hut and I sat in the car waiting for my child. My point is this: You never know what someone is going through. This holiday season, I'm going to try to be patient with those who are frazzled, especially those in customer service jobs. Sure, I was taken aback by the mailman's response. But after a moment, I understood. I was probably the 10th bus stop parent who asked about the mail...oops! May your holiday season be full of compassion, mercy and peace.
