The first time I experienced stopping for a funeral procession was in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I was headed back to the dorm from the mall when the cars in front of me began to stop for no apparent reason. I stopped to not have an accident. A few seconds later I saw the hearse and a long parade of mourners following in their cars. This was different. Either I’d never been in this traffic situation in Louisville, or it wasn’t the tradition.

States have different rules about stopping for a #funeral procession. Stopping is a sign of respect for the loss of others. It is an act of respect for the life of the deceased. It’s recognizing that those in the cars are possibly having the worst day of their life. It’s a sign of empathy.

How easy is it for us to get caught up in our world? We hustle to work to try and be on time when there’s a wreck and traffic gets backed up. Or someone has a flat tire and cars come to a stop; drivers are frustrated checking their watches, immediately thinking of another route. That’s understandable.

Let me encourage you the next time this happens to take a deep breath and say a prayer for those involved in the issue. You may be late for a meeting, but they may never go to another meeting again. You may have to take another route, but the guy with the flat tire may been on his way to a desperately needed job interview.

Think about it. Let me know your thoughts below.

All the best,

KK

---

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”
–Henry David Thoreau

---