A word from Bill and Ted: Be excellent to each other

Something that I have thought over for quite some time really hit home for me today. When you interact with someone, you usually just know them in the context of your relationship: whether that means your professor, your roommate, your coworker. For example, I meet with professors occasionally when I need help with a research paper or to go over a test. I rarely know any real information about their personal lives. The same goes with coworkers- you know them in the context of work situations, but you never really know what goes on because of the stigma of keeping business and personal so separate. However, today someone I work with came in a little frazzled and mentioned something about being up all night. I asked if everything was alright, only to find out this person was dealing with some serious family issues.

I was amazed at how this person can spend an entire day meeting the demands of everyone in the office, and yet no one realizes the silent struggles carried by someone who always remains so cheerful and caring towards others. (Please excuse the awkward phrasing that occurred as a result of my attempt at maintaining anonymity.)

I guess I was just reminded of how important it is to be kind to people; you never really know what they may be dealing with. Sometimes life is really tough, and we can all make it a little easier to bear if we aren't so selfish. Try to be a better person by thinking more of others than you do of yourself.