Respect! We all deserve it

As my fiancé and I sat to watch a documentary in Downtown Portland, we realized how small the room was.

We were talking about the movie in a very low voice when a man siting two chairs away from us with his young daughter did the famous "Shoooosh", placing his finger to his lips, as librarians usually do.

We were so quiet that he probably was waiting for us to be a lit louder to "shoosh" us.

My fiancé couldn't believe in what was happening and answered a bit louder than before "really?".

I couldn't help but look at him to try to understand his action. As I was looking at him with a peaceful facial expression, the man looked back at me and "shooshed" me using his finger again - despite the fact that I had remained quiet and I was just looking at him.

What a great opportunity I had!

It took me a second to figure out what was happening. Faster than he possibly think I sad "Happy New Year for you too".

Not knowing what to do, he simply looked back to the movie.

What was happening was that we were on the first day of the Year. Who would be impatient on the first day of the Year? Someone who wasn't happy with something in his or her life. 

Who knows what was going on in his man's life?

We often think about respect as a think that people should have toward us - specially when there is lack of respect from their side.

Less often we think about us respecting people's challenge, respecting their drama, their fears and sorrows.

Peace will come to the world when we all respect who disrespect, when we are compassionate enough to remember we all have bad days, good days, and days people go out looking for passing their anger forward. 

I respected that man for his challenges.