Will it matter 50 years from now?

She was understandably upset, her two year old daughter, who had been quite for most of the trip suddenly started squawking. We were about to land in the midst of a pea souper fog in jolly old St. John's Newfoundland on this Victoria day Weekend. As usual the weather is the pits!

The squawking was not what upset her, it was the reaction of a fellow passenger who was angry at being disturbed by the noise. He had made his displeasure known in no uncertain terms, and had stalked off down the isle out of hearing, the instant the seat belt signs were tuned off. She was left there feeling like a criminal for not controlling her daughter's squawking (her ears were probably hurting from the descent!).

I looked the young woman in the eye, smiled at her and told her “You daughter was simply expressing what we all feel – coming back to the pitsy weather on the holiday weekend.” As I talked and explained how some people have unreasonable expectations she began to calm down. She is only 2 for goodness sake! I don't remember most of what else I said, but do remember saying that one of the things I had been trying to do when I am upset is to ask the question “Is this going to matter in 50 years from now?” And it is isn't then I am not going to allow it to matter now. Life it too short to allow unreasonable people to rob me of my joy.

What I did not tell her (not enough time, not enough relationship) was that I have a source to help me with this, my relationship with the Lord. In prayer and cooperation with Him I am learning to do this. Journaling helps too, as does sitting before Him and praying through the scriptures.

She smiled at me as I passed her a few moments later as she was waiting for the stroller to be brought up to the door. Her smile told me that I had made a difference (small for sure), and that made me feel good too and was compensation as I came back to the reality of Newfoundland weather!