Tears in the Home Depot Parking Lot

So while waiting in the parking lot of Home Depot today I was checking my email. I get a weekly email from Music and the Spoken Word. It has an amazing and thought provoking message week after week. Anyway, this is one that I wanted to share because as I was reading it, I began to cry. This couldn't explain better how I feel about some very special women that I have come to know.

"Cultivate an Attitude of Understanding"
July 13, 2008, Broadcast #4114

For centuries, people have separated each other by setting up barriers and boundaries—the divisions we call “us” and “them.” In our interconnected society, we interact almost daily with people whose heritage, religion, skin color, gender, language, or choices are different from ours. The challenge lies in how we treat each other when we have little in common except our humanity.

Small children seem to be especially good at this. When you smile at a child, she smiles back. When you make a face, she giggles. When you wave good-bye, she waves too. Barriers disappear in this simple, satisfying exchange. Perhaps children haven’t yet learned to see those barriers. Or maybe they see more clearly what’s really important.

Accepting one another—no matter our differences—is a measure of our character and our hearts. Acceptance is not about changing “us” or “them”; it’s about a friendly gesture, a smile, an appreciation for interesting company or new ideas. It is learning to accept others despite mistakes, weaknesses, or bad choices and still loving them for who they are. Acceptance comes more easily when we are at peace, confident of our own place, our beliefs and direction.

“Cultivate an attitude of understanding, and come to genuinely like people,” religious leader Thomas S. Monson has said. “I’ve rarely met a person that I didn’t want to get to know better. ... It doesn’t matter who they are.

Thank you D, E, B, S, & D: I am a better person for having known you. Thanks for accepting me for who I am and allowing me into your lives. I bet I'll find myself waiting for you in my new front yard.

May you feel my appreciation for the love and care you've shown my children, your support when "life" has been difficult, your sense of laughter and silliness.


**I've cut and pasted pieces of the article, for the full article, see the link above.