Respecting the Feelings of Others
Dear Frankie,
My mom has to get a series of painful shots because I acted like a jerk. When she said she didn’t want to go for a walk in the woods, I pestered her until she agreed to go for a shorter time than usual.
On the way back, my mother became concerned about the sounds she heard coming from the woods and asked, “Could that be an animal following us?”
Just to be funny, I said, “No need to fear; if it is, I will slay the beast,” and took off into the woods.
I didn’t get very far when a coyote leaped out at me from behind a tree. I was terrified and hightailed it back to my mom as fast as I could. But so did the coyote, who bit her on the leg before it ran off.
The doctor at the emergency room told my mom that, if the animal isn’t available to be tested for rabies, the person injured has to undergo a series of shots in the event the animal was infected.
Every time my mom comes home from getting another shot, she looks miserable. I’ve apologized, but what good is that? It doesn’t make the procedure any less painful.
Patch
Dear Patch,
Sometimes it takes an unfortunate event to learn a lesson.
You are not responsible for the coyote bite. If the coyote was intent on attacking either you or your mom, there was nothing you could have done to outrun or stop it from doing so.
Where you did err was when you didn’t take your mother’s concern seriously. She was upset and looked to you to alleviate her fears. Instead of listening to her worries, you turned the situation into a joke.
If you want to make it up to your mom, you first have to decide that you will never make fun of anyone when they are upset or worried. If you can commit to that, tell your mom you have learned your lesson, promise her it will never happen again, and ask for her forgiveness.
I think she will be proud of you for taking responsibility for your actions and for discovering the importance of respecting others’ feelings.
Best, Frankie
© 2025 Geneva Woodruff
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