Tonight, something unexpected happened—something small, but powerful.

I was out driving, just going about my evening, when I apparently upset another driver. I didn’t even realize it at the time, but moments later, I noticed the car behind me was following me closely. I pulled into a gas station, and the other driver pulled in too.

They got out, angry. Their words were sharp, heated. I could feel their frustration radiating from them—but I still didn’t understand what exactly I had done. Maybe I’d changed lanes too quickly, or missed a signal. Maybe it wasn’t even really about me.

Still, I took a deep breath.

Instead of meeting anger with anger, I quietly asked,
“Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?”

That caught them off guard. They paused for a moment, like they didn’t expect kindness. But then they turned away, still upset, muttered something, and walked back to their car.

As they drove off, I called out,
“I hope you have a good evening.”

And I meant it.

It would’ve been easy to be defensive, to shout back, to escalate. Years ago, I probably would’ve done just that. But lately, I’ve been trying to live by a different principle:
Seek to understand.

Not everyone has that calm moment of reflection in the heat of a conflict. Not everyone has the tools or the strength to pause and look inward. But sometimes, all it takes is one person choosing empathy to shift everything.

About 45 minutes later, after I finished what I was doing, I returned to my truck in the school parking lot.

And there it was.

A note. Folded and left gently under my windshield wiper.

I opened it, and in simple handwriting, it said:

“I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. You didn’t deserve that. Thank you for being kind when I couldn’t be. You reminded me to pause. Thank you.”

I stood there quietly for a moment, letting it sink in.

We never really know what someone else is going through. That person could’ve had a terrible day, just lost someone, gotten bad news, or been carrying the weight of something I’ll never see. My driving might have been the spark—but it wasn’t the fire.

I don’t know their story. But I do know that choosing to understand—choosing grace over pride—made a difference tonight.

And maybe that’s all it takes sometimes.

A pause.
A deep breath.
A kind word instead of a harsh one.
And the decision to see someone, not just react to them.

Tonight reminded me: we’re all just trying to make it through the day.

Let’s make it easier for one another when we can.