(S and I goofing off in the woods last fall)

You ever meet people who are most excited about bad news?

I remember when I was about to leave for Texas to visit family, and S had to stay in Tennessee because of school, someone asked me, “Isn’t your husband upset you’re leaving without him?” When I assured them he was not, they poked a bit more, “Are you sure? Do you think he’s hiding it?”
I told them he was happy for me to be able to go back and visit family.
At first, they looked a crestfallen. Then, in a sudden burst of inspiration, their whole face lit up and they said, “A bit too happy, you think?”

Really?

I can’t imagine what it’s like to live a life in which you get your kicks off of someone else’s misery. When I meet people who thrive off drama, I always wonder how different they would be if they had some personal goals…or a hobby…or…something.

People who live in that mindset remind me of those fish that eat the algae growing on the sides of fish tanks. They’re so short-sighted, they can’t see past this hour’s entertainment. I wonder how they would be different if they were focused on other, greater, things.

It can be easy to be caught up in something someone said or did to us that was offensive or rude. Sometimes it’s hard to brush things off. My mom always had this way of reminding me to see the big picture when something like this happens. It has helped me as an adult to pause before responding to something that could potentially fuel needless drama.
Turns out, kindness, patience, or graciously overlooking the sins of another puts a damper on pettiness.

Let’s not be ‘bad news people’. No one likes them.