How do you conduct yourself during a stressful or upsetting time? One Reddit user recently shared this personal story about her behavior after her father died, and a surprising remark from a stranger. Read her post below.
My dad died 3 days before Christmas last year. The day after he passed, I went out shopping for a dress to wear to the funeral service.
I work in customer service, so I know firsthand how pivotal it is to not take out your negative emotions on retail workers. The cashier was making small talk with me, asking me how I was doing, etc. I engaged with her as if the worst day of my life hadn’t just happened 24 hours ago. You know what she said to me? “I really like your attitude.” Just like that, completely out of the blue. I asked her to elaborate, and she explained that most people who came by were noticeably agitated or stressed out – the holiday season can tend to do that to people. But she told me I seemed like a positive, endearing person, and she appreciated the energy I was giving off.
It was bittersweet in a way, but I’ll never forget what she said to me or how it made me feel. Having a bad day is no excuse to make other people’s days worse. Being kind and polite will make you feel much better when all is said and done.
Instead of pulling others into her sorrows, she radiated an energy that uplifted others — helping raise her own spirits in the process. It’s something we should all remember, and try to use during our most difficult times.
Pass this on if you agree.
