A stranger yelled at me this week and this is what I learned.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The words were hurled at my car window, sharp and full of heat.

“Sorry - I was just dropping my daughter off quickly to catch her friends.”

“It’s a car park! You’re meant to park your car! You could obviously see my reverse lights.”

“I didn’t. I was focused on getting my daughter out. Did you see me dropping her off?”

“Yes, but ...”

That’s all I remember. I apologised again, moved out of her way, parked the car and cried.

Here are five things I learned from that moment:

1. Take a pause. As I pulled up, Nell leaned over, kissed me, and jumped out. In that five-second window, the woman started peeping her horn. The noise disoriented me. I had planned to reverse and leave, but the beeping made me freeze as I looked around to see where it was coming from. If she had waited just a breath longer, the confrontation never needed to have happened.

2. Don’t assume. She assumed I had seen her reverse lights and was ignoring them. I hadn’t. My attention was on Nell, making sure she caught up with her friends before the school gate locked behind them. My priorities were elsewhere. Does that make me a terrible person? Maybe a terrible driver but not a terrible person surely?!😂

3. This is why I practice yoga. So I don’t scream at strangers in car parks.

4. Apologise anyway. I led with “I’m sorry,” but she wasn’t ready to hear it. Still, I hope my words softened something in her, even later. A genuine apology can be a quiet balm for someone else’s fire.

5. Forgiveness is freedom. She made me cry but I know her anger wasn’t really about me. Maybe someone in her life is constantly disrespecting her. Maybe I was just the final straw that morning. Her actions didn’t match the situation and that tells me something deeper was going on.

Over reacting is a sign something is up. Have you over reacted lately?

Shouted at someone in a car park or cried after someone shouted at you in a car park? 😬

These moments matter. They’re invitations to look inward, to notice what’s really going on.

Thank you for being here. Sending love and kindness,

Laura x