On a crowded flight, a pregnant woman behind me said, “I can’t breathe.” Annoyed, I snapped, “Then fly first class!”
After the flight, a note from her changed everything. She wrote she was 33 weeks pregnant, flying home alone from her mother’s funeral, and simply needed air—not judgment.
I felt ashamed. I had ignored her pain and responded with cruelty. That moment stayed with me. I later posted a public apology online. A few days later, someone reached out—her cousin. She said the woman had seen my message and was slowly healing.
That experience taught me this: being right isn’t more important than being kind. We never know what someone is going through. Now, I try to pause, reflect, and respond with compassion.
Sometimes, grace is the most powerful thing we can offer a stranger.
