It was never about you and them anyway

A few months back, Sooze and I went to Starbucks for lunch as we very often do.

‘Aren’t you coming in too?’ she asked me, as I pulled up outside.

‘No, I need to get back, can we just grab something and go?’ I said.

‘Ok!’ she said, ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

About five minutes later she came out carrying the coffees and Starbucks bag, but she had a strange look on her face.

‘What’s the matter,’ I said ‘are you ok?’

‘Oh my goodness, that was awful!’ she said.

‘What was?’

Susan handed me my coffee and said ‘Well .. I had ordered the coffees and was waiting for them to be delivered, and there was this dreadful woman in front of me having a go at one of the staff.’

‘Which one, anyone we know?’ We knew practically all the staff like life-long-friends as we go there so much!

‘The lovely Polish girl with the brown hair .. Kammy’ Susan said.

‘Oh no! Was she ok?’

‘Well this woman was really digging into her, I didn’t know where to look, she was horrible. Kammy kind of shot me an awkward look. Then the woman just stormed off and left her drink behind.

‘I felt really bad for her, so I said I’m really sorry that you have to put up with such rude people like that, some people are just plain ignorant.’

‘What did Kammy say?’ I asked sympathetically.

‘She said, "oh don’t worry it’s fine". I said "it’s not fine, you provide a fantastic service day in and day out, and idiots like that should be banned from ever coming back. I’m going to say something to your manager."

Then Kammy looked at me and said, "no .. it’s ok .. she’s my Mum!"'

I just burst out laughing, but Susan didn’t really see the funny side of it just yet!

‘It’s not funny!’ she said, ‘I felt terrible.’

‘What did you say after that?’ I said, finding it difficult to control my laughter.

‘What could I say .. I said .. oh .. ok, thanks .. see you later! And walked off! I don’t think she was very happy!’

‘Well you did your best, at least you tried!’

By the time we’d got about 4 miles away, Susan saw the funny side of it, and we laughed the rest of the way home.

That story always makes me laugh whenever I remember it, but there is a semi-serious point in there somewhere isn’t there? Sometimes, when we try and do the right thing, it can backfire on us badly .. in fact sometimes things will go SPECTACULARLY wrong .. even though we were only trying to help.

Does that mean that we shouldn’t try and help at all? Or that we should still try and help anyway?

There’s a poem in this regard that I think EVERYONE should print out, put on their wall and read every day for the rest of their lives:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

This version of this poem was found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, and is credited to Mother Teresa.

Food for thought .. Have a great weekend!!