I Almost Threw Up on the Plane When the Obese Woman Sitting Behind Me Put Her Dirty, Smelly Bare Foot Right on My Armrest. When I Asked Her to Move It, She Laughed and Said, “My Feet Need Air. If You Don’t Like It, Sit Somewhere Else.” I’d Never Seen Such Shameless Behavior. I Decided to Teach Her a Lesson, and Soon the Entire Plane Was Laughing at Her. But When I Discovered Who That Woman Really Was and Where She Was Flying, I Wished I’d Never Done It…

She lowered her eyes.

“Today, I could barely fit into my airplane seat. My legs are swollen, and sitting for a long time makes them hurt. I know I behaved terribly. But when you asked me to move my foot, I took it as just another insult.”

Linda looked at me.

“I’ve gotten used to being rude first, so other people don’t have the chance to hurt me.”

I remembered the first few months after my husband’s death.

I remembered how I had shut myself inside the house, refused visitors, and sometimes didn’t even answer the phone.

I knew that kind of pain.

But that didn’t mean Linda’s behavior was acceptable.

“Linda, I’m very sorry about your daughter,” I said gently. “But you also need to understand that your pain doesn’t give you the right to treat other people badly.”

She nodded.