It's been quite the week.
I have a lot of adjectives (and honestly, some expletives) that I'd like to put in front of that word, but we'll just keep it simple and say it's been a week. And I was really looking forward to a fresh start today.
So, I wake up early enough to write out my to-do list for the day, because being able to do that before work just makes all the difference. I have an extra cup of coffee. I start the new She Reads Truth plan. I am on it.
And then I go to leave for work.
Annnndddd my car won't start.
So I ask a two or three people passing me if they can jump my car, and they say no. Which is totally fine--it's a Monday, we're all busy and trying to get to work. But then I wait by my car for thirty minutes and ask people to help me. And it wasn't just that they said no, because I totally get it. I probably wouldn't help a stranger if it was going to make me late either. So that wasn't what upset me, it was the way everyone said no.
"Do I look like I have time to help you?"
"Nope--gotta go."
"Sorry, I don't have jumper cables." "Oh, I have jumper cables." "Sorry, I don't have a car." Proceeds to walk to his car.
"I seriously don't have time for this today."
Okay, I get it. Everyone is busy. No one is obligated to help me. But seriously...a simple "I'm sorry, I don't have enough time. But good luck!" Or anything like that would have just made my morning a lot better.
So I do what anyone would do in this situation and cry and call my mom and decide that people are the worst.
Then I go back inside, in a much worse mood than I came out with. I'm waiting on the elevator and thinking about how people are the worst ever, and how everyone who just refused to help me has a black heart and I wonder how they would like it if their car wouldn't start when they were on their way to work and blah blah blah.
This older man walks up just as the elevator dings, and he motions for me to go in front of him.
"It's elevator etiquette, you were here first."
I made a joke about how elevator etiquette is so awkward and I never know what to do and he said, "You're a lady, you should always go first.
Then we rode up in awkward elevator silence. When we got to his floor, he turned and waved to me and said, "It's a Monday. Make it something special."
And just like that, my day got a lot better. Just because a little old man took the time to remind me that Mondays should be special.
We should all remember that our words and actions--no matter how small--can totally change someone's day. So be a little kinder than you feel like being. Choose to say something nice instead of something snarky. Just be nice, you know? It makes a difference.
It's a Monday. Make it something special.
