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.

“I know. And I’m sorry.”

Just then, the flight attendant returned.