Had she not been moving so swiftly to her car, I would've asked if she was okay. Or at least given her a tissue. But I did neither. Instead my mind wandered. It drifted into an imaginative state that wondered what was wrong, what happened and who she has just left behind. I wanted to confront her, console her and comfort her.
My friend was off on another business trip. Another weekend away to enhance his brand and ensure his means to provide for his son were plentiful. I was ecstatic - as I always am - for him to go conquer whatever he'd face as he headed south. But judging by the tears of the woman who exited the airport, it didn't look as though she was ecstatic for her friend's departure. It didn't seem as though her friend was going on a business trip. It didn't even seem like her friend would ever return.
I tried so hard to imagine her situation. Why was she crying so hard? Why was she so sad? Was it a family member or a boyfriend? Did the person go on an international flight with a one-way ticket? What happened?
I had no idea. All I knew was that she was crying uncontrollably and the thunderstorm in today's weather forecast had to have been referring to her.
But this is common. While we may not always see women running from the airport with tear stained eyes, each one of us have witnessed someone battling something we had no idea about. We've crossed paths with someone who's been fighting something we could never imagine. Someone you know is in a battle they wish they'd never put themselves in; a battle they can't themselves out of.
A battle we'll never understand.
And, while we'd like to believe that we're the only ones with problems - we're not. We're not the only ones who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and didn't have enough money to buy breakfast. We're not the only ones suffering from bad breakups and bad headaches. We're not the only ones going to jobs we don't like and associating with "friends" who don't like us. We're not the only ones fighting off enemies and handling internal battles.
We are all fighting something. We are all in a battle with ourselves, the world and others. You can use that to your advantage; to acknowledge that you're not the only one enduring life. You can use it to help those around you; to empathize and aid in their battle, whatever it may be. You can even use it to further develop yourself, personally and spiritually; to mimic the behavior of the fighters in good spirits and with admirable faith.
However you choose to use it, make sure it's with love and compassion. Make sure you allow it to encourage you to be kinder to those around you. Allow it to create a soft spot in your heart and a yearning desire to inspire and motivate others. Let it force you to think twice about the judgement you pass and the way you 'diagnose' people. Make sure the person you see running out of the airport is not greeted with a disparaging stare, but with an empathetic heart.
We are all fighting something. Don't add to their battle.
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