Article January 30, 2012 Issue

Love defuses anger

By Emma Flavin

First appeared as a web original on March 7, 2011

My husband and I were returning home after he’d met me at the airport. I’d been away for the weekend at a yearly Christian Science association meeting. Based on the subject of the address that was given, I came away from the meeting with a newfound confidence for handling fear through prayer before I allowed it to handle me. We had just arrived at our final subway stop and, with luggage in hand, were exiting the train behind three young girls who had abruptly stopped walking after stepping onto the platform.

My husband accidentally nudged one of the girls with his bags in order to clear the doors of the train, and I was right behind him. Then I overheard one of the girls say some unkind words in regard to his bag hitting her. My husband was some distance ahead of me at this point, and I ignored the comment until it was followed by an unkind expletive that was directed specifically at my husband and his appearance.

In that moment, I just couldn’t help myself. I whipped around and approached the girl, sternly explaining that she had needed to clear the doors in order for people to exit the train safely and also added that she shouldn’t address my husband in such a manner. My words were like fire to her flame. I received a loud and distasteful response from the whole group of girls that echoed through a tunnel as I caught up to my husband and headed up to the street level. Eventually, the three girls went in a different direction, but not without heckling my husband in a very public setting.