Someone in our family is always quoting a movie.  Many of our favorite quotes come from the following:

• The Sandlot…”How can I have s’more of nothing?” “You’re killing me, Smalls!” “If you were thinking, you wouldn’t have thought that!”
• Wreck It Ralph…”I’m gonna wreck it!” “I love my momma!”  “Have some candy!”
• Back to the Future…”Great scott!” “Manure–I hate manure!” “Why don’t you make like a tree and get outta here!”
• Star Wars…”Do. Or do not. There is no try.” “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

As I was driving the other day, I noticed a person driving a jeep who waved at another person driving a jeep.  Little did they know, witnessing the small gesture of kindness between those two drivers caused this non-jeep driver to do some deep thinking.

Waving at each other seems to be normal behavior between Jeep owners and Harley owners.  I get it.  I also love and appreciate it.  Not only does it give people a common ground, owning one seems to create a bond of mutual respect.

I don’t drive a Jeep or Harley.  But, two years ago, I became part of a group I never imagined becoming part of.  I became a cancer parent.  Due to our experiences over the past 2 years, we share a common bond with other parents who are dealing with a critically ill child.  My heart longs to sit and talk with other moms going through their own childhood cancer journey.  I can’t help but want to pray for them, give them a hug, send them a message or bring them coffee when they’re sitting in the hospital with their child for the umpteenth time.

Across the board of diseases, I’ve noticed this.  If you’ve personally been affected by cancer,  you share common ground with others who are dealing with the same type.  If you’ve personally been affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Diabetes, whatever…you share a common ground with others dealing with the same.  I get it.  I absolutely love and appreciate these bonds.

Purchasing a specific car or motorcycle isn’t restricted by race, gender or religion.  It doesn’t matter who is driving the vehicle, one owner waves to the other owner out on the road.  Cancer and other diseases are not restricted to race, gender or religion, either.  Just walk into any hospital and you’ll see people of every race, gender and religion…ALL FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES.  The medical teams aren’t just trying to save certain people…they are trying to find cures and save ALL people.

Why can’t the simple fact that each of us are human beings, regardless of how we look or what we believe, be the common bond we share that causes us to treat each other with respect?  I really thought our society was more civilized than it’s been acting recently.

Another quote our family uses often is from the movie, Madagascar, when the group of penguins at the zoo say, “Just smile and wave, boys.  Smile and Wave.”  Why can’t all humans apply the lesson we’ve learned from the Jeep and Harley owners and simply smile and wave?

Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”  This is a quote from scripture we often talk about at home with our children.  It doesn’t say do to others like they do to you.  It says do to others like you want them to do to you.   Sometimes revenge and hate seems like the best option, but it only breeds more revenge and hate.  But, love will always make a way…

Romans 12:10, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”