The Cookie Thief

A woman was waiting at the airport one night. With several long hours before her flight, she hunted for a book in the airport shop, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to sit. Though she was engrossed in her book, the action of a man sitting beside her caught her eyes. He was grabbing a cookie from the bags between them. She pretended not to see what he was doing to avoid a scene. She read, munched cookies and watched the clock. As the gutsy “cookie thief” diminished her stock, she became more irritated as the minutes ticked by. Thinking, “If I weren’t so nice, I’d have blackened his eye!” With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he’d do. With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, as he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought, “Oh my goodness, this guy has some nerve and he’s also rude. Why, he didn’t even show any gratitude!”

She had never known when she had been so pissed off and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate, refusing to look back at the “thief”. She boarded the plane and sank into her seat. As she reached into her baggage to get her book, she gasped with surprise. There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!

“If mine is here,” she moaned with despair. “Then the other packet must be his and he has been sharing it with me!” She realised with grief that she was the rude one…the ingrate…the thief!

Have you ever accused somebody wrongly? Well, if you have, fret not as you are not alone. Just be more mindful and don’t be too quick in pointing the accusing finger the next time.