MY TWO CENTS
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle… I have heard this quote or something very close to it a handful of times lately, and it really strikes a cord. It’s so easy to be in my own space, and to not take the time to be aware that everyone I intersect with has their own battle they are dealing with. Life is a challenge for each of us, and I will have to work on taking more time to be aware of the fact that we are each contending with our own battles, and I may never know what it is that someone else is contending with, but I need to work on being more gracious and understanding to each person I come in contact with. From this I might learn to grow more outside of myself and be a better person for it. Always a work in progress.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ian Maclaren was the pen name for John Watson (November 3, 1850-May 6, 1907) who was a Scottish theologian and writer/author. After his studies at university, Watson decided to focus on theology and went to New College, Edinburgh and Tübingen. He was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland and retired as the minister at Sefton Park Presbyterian Church in Liverpool. Watson traveled to the United States and had tonsillitis which led to blood poisoning and he died in Iowa.

Watson wrote in his stories from the Kailyard school of thought, which was a much softer and sentimental perspective of rural life in Scotland after what had been a much coarser time prior to this lifestyle, and for that reason this lighter tone of story was well received. The most popular book he wrote was Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush (1894), which sold more than 700,000 copies and many of his other books even surpassed this in sales.

Note about the author: It’s not confirmed that this quote is by Ian Maclaren (aka: John Watson), but he has been given credit by Wikipedia. Plato or Philo of Alexandria have also been given credit for this quote, but I went with John Watson as I read that this was his temperament to be aware of and care for others, especially as a minister.

Share with me below what comes to mind when you hear this quote.

FEATURED FLOWER
Gloriosa Daisy. Photographed @ My Wildflower Garden.

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