Do I need to be offended?

Perspectives, backstories and how they lead to a more peaceful life (or Instagram scroll)

The other day, my Instagram explorer took me to a mom who had just given birth and told her parents to come to the hospital. The thing was, the mom didn't know her grandchild had been born already, so she showed up, and her daughter wasn’t in labor but was sitting next to the baby in a bassinet.

What's your gut reaction? We likely all have one.

And rest assured, the mob in the comments had them, too. Some were utterly appalled a daughter would deprive her mom of being there beforehand. Others were equally passionate that the daughter had every right to protect her boundaries and even said grandparents have no rights. 

Where did I land? I love my mom. She's so supportive while also respecting my boundaries, so I felt sad for the mom and annoyed at the daughter for the spoiled heart it required to do that to her mom.

But that's when I realized it; as I looked at the comments that were so impassioned, I knew there had to be a story behind why they felt so strongly one way or the other. Our own experiences greatly influence how we react to things. That is not shocking in the least, but how often do we take offense to something without knowing the backstory?

Taking offense is rotting our hearts and stealing so much from us, so I think asking this question is helpful:

Do I need to be offended?