By Lynne Cory

Copyright: bugphai / 123RF Stock Photo

What if I went to a church funeral and the man sitting next to me never took off his hat and I thought he was rude?  What if he had recently had brain surgery and wanted to protect his head filled with stitches?  What if I said hi to her and she barely acknowledged me and I later found out her mom had just died and she could not respond without breaking down in tears? What if he was aged beyond his years because of alcohol and I never realized, because he was too embarrassed to speak of it, that he had been abused and neglected as a child for many years?  What if we all have stories and situations that form our actions and personalities and no one ever gets to learn the whole story?