I was with a friend recently at a fast food restaurant and she made a joking remark about an overweight woman at the next table not needing to be here. Why? She was eating the same thing my friend was -- a burger and fries. I don't know the woman's life or struggles and can't find it in my heart to begrudge her a meal. It's so easy to gain weight as we age and even 2 pounds a year over a couple of decades adds up.
Forty years later, I still remember a homily by a priest in the Newman center when I was in college. He was discussing kindness and I was idly nodding my head in agreement until he got to the part where he said we need to take the more difficult path and extend kindness, not only to our friends and family, but to people we don't like. Aw, man! But I don't like those people.
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