I almost threw up on the plane when the obese woman sitting behind me put her barefoot, dirty and stinky straight on my armrest. When I asked him to take it off, he laughed and said, “My feet need air. If you don’t like it, sit down somewhere else.” I’ve never seen such a brazenness. I decided to teach her a lesson and soon after, the whole plane was laughing at her. But when I found out who that woman really was and where she was traveling, I wished I had never done it…

Today Linda and I are friends.

Never put your feet back on other people’s armrests again.Models Anatomy

And he keeps that ridiculous pink sock in his bedroom, next to Emily’s photograph.

Sometimes we talk on the phone, remember that flight and laugh together.

But I also learned something very important.

A person’s pain does not justify their rude behavior. However, sometimes it is worth hearing their story, because an apology, the desire to change and a little human kindness can transform even the day that seems most hopeless.

And if that day I had just continued to hate Linda, she would never have discovered how much pain she hid behind her noisy laughter.