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Check-in Time

Before kids, vacations involved an unsaid game of beating everyone else to the destination. But now, I've learned that if I compete with the GPS, their bladders or bellies will win. I feel a patience lesson coming on.

I certainly had a dose of it when we were checking in Sunday. Our scheduled time was 4 PM. We got here shortly after that and figured we were good. Wrong. One room was ready but the other wasn't. It was hot, kids were rambunctious, and the adults were getting ill.

Finally, around 5:30, we received a call that the other room was ready. I volunteered to go pick up the keys (partly out of chivalry, partly to get away from the chaos). The office was absolutely packed with people checking in and complaining. 

I finally made it to the front of the long line. The lady was stressed, yet apologetic & kind. I could have been rude (part of me wanted to). But you know what, I've been there before. I've been overwhelmed by work, customers, or circumstances. I've been doing my best to handle a bad situation and sometimes kindness and apologies are the only things we can offer.

Would you have given the attendant "what she deserved" or attempted to extend grace in the midst of this situation? I believe that being on that other side of the counter would change your answer.

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