Off The Record

Frustrated Mom Stuck Behind Slow Car: Then She Sees A Note On The Back Window That Changed Everything

Published on January 3, 2024

Like many mothers, Hailey is a busy lady who juggles being a caring community member, a dedicated wife, and a mother.

Going grocery shopping, taking care of the kids, organizing domestic chores, and writing and updating her blog, Thoughts, Dots, and Tots, are all part of her daily routine. For her, “free time” is an elusive luxury.

On one occasion, Hailey was hurriedly making her way to work when she became entangled in a slow-moving truck that was battling to maintain the speed limit. Despite the time crunch, she mustered up some composure.

She didn’t realize the truck was moving so slowly until she got near to it at a stoplight; a sign on the back window said, “Learning stick, sorry for any delay.”

In a touching and widely shared Facebook post, Hailey revealed her epiphany and how it transformed her outlook:

“As I was pulling into work, I was following this car. The sign in the back window said, ‘Learning stick sorry for any delay.’ Knowing this information, I was very patient with their slow shifting, and honestly, they were doing pretty well for still learning. Then I asked myself a tough question: Would I have been just as patient if the sign hadn’t been there? I can almost definitely say no.

We don’t know what someone is going through. We don’t wear signs that illustrate our personal struggles. 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…”