On her blog, Thoughts, Dots, and Tots, Hailey describes herself as a “mom, wife, Mormon, counselor, and professional panicker with a minor polka dot and zombie obsession.” One morning, she found herself frustrated because of traffic, specifically, being stuck behind an older SUV.

The vehicle seemed to be having some problems, although she had no idea what – until she got close enough to read the sign posted on the back window of the Ford.

When she read the message: “Learning stick, sorry for any delay,” she was hit with a sudden realization about herself, not the driver in the SUV. She snapped a picture of the sign and took to Facebook to share her realization, not only about herself, but also about the people we share the road and this world with.

Now that she knew the person was learning to drive stick, she stated: “I was very patient with their slow shifting, and honestly they were doing pretty well for still learning.” She then asked: “Would I have been just as patient if the sign hadn’t been there? I can almost definitely say no.” This answer made her realize that there was a problem.

“We don’t know what someone is going through. We don’t wear signs that illustrate our personal struggles,” she wrote. “You don’t see signs taped to people’s shirts that say, ‘Going through a divorce,’ or ‘Lost a child,’ or ‘Feeling depressed,’ or ‘Diagnosed with cancer.’”

“If we could read visually what those around us are going through we would definitely be nicer. But we shouldn’t have to see signs and have reasons to treat strangers with kindness. We should do it anyway, whether we know what is going on or not. Whether they deserve it or not. Let’s give everyone an extra dose of patience, kindness, and love,” she concluded.

We do not know what people are going through, and we hope that the hand-scribbled message, and Hailey’s realization, will serve as a teaching lesson to others.