Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Lonely Travelers at Waffle House

On Christmas Eve two lonely travelers sat at the bar in a Waffle House many miles from their home. The Waffle House had been selected after driving to several other restaurants. It was the only place still open at that hour. Absent-mindedly the travelers watched the cooks and waitresses prepare food for a large number of customers. The feelings of many of the people in the restaurant that night were probably expressed by a customer who selected a "someone's done somebody wrong" song on the jukebox.
It was not the feelings of everyone present, however. My wife and I were the lonely travelers, but we were far from feeling sad. This stop had been planned for days. It was close to the halfway point on a trip to see our granddaughters. By traveling part of the way after work on Christmas Eve, we could get to our destination earlier on Christmas Day. Besides, you can't be very sad when you have a trunk full of toys for two special little girls. Thinking about the excitment we would see on their faces removed all thoughts of sadness that night.
Our Christmas Eve experience reminded us that we don't always know the whole story when we look at the circumstances around people. It is so easy to add our own interpretation to what we see when it may not be that way at all. What may look to us like sadness or unfairness may only be a stepping stone to joy and happiness. Be sure to discover all the facts before you jump to conclusions!