Dear Woman in the Cereal Aisle,
For the record, I didn't sneeze on purpose. I didn't sneeze on your food or on you or even in your direction. I sneezed into my sleeve just like I was taught. I'm not even sick, just something tickled my nose and I needed to sneeze.
I'm sure it startled you and I'm sorry. I'm sure you heard me apologize, but you didn't care.
Did you think I couldn't hear your rude complaint or see the sneer on your face? Do you think you live inside a bubble where you can see out but we can't see in? Did you know I could feel your angry eyes boring into me as we passed in the baking goods aisle, the soup aisle, the juice aisle? You must not have known that your hatred--for that's what it felt like--ruined my shopping trip. Or maybe you did and you didn't care.
I pray people you meet today grant you more grace than you granted me.
-Sneezer
Dear Woman Behind Me in the Checkout Line,
For the record, I'm not always a basket case. You just caught me at a bad moment.
You could have been annoyed that my order was confusing. You could have huffed and sighed and tapped your foot when the checker clogged up both conveyor belts with my order, making you wait even longer. You could have done what someone else had already done just minutes before and announced to the world what was wrong with me.
But you didn't. You waited your turn. You walked around me to the second conveyor belt. You bagged my groceries for me. And then you did something that made my day.
You smiled and thanked me for letting you help me. I should be thanking you...and I do.
-Sniffler
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