Depends

by Kay Heitsch

There's a big difference in being comfortable with yourself than thinking you are superior to other people.

Many years ago I met a wonderful lady who told me this story about her husband.

Mary* shared with me that her husband was very well educated. He had even written text books for several universities. He'd made a lot of money and they lived in a beautiful home and took many extravagant vacations.

However, her husband was an arrogant, self important man who not only put her down, but he also put other people down whom he felt were not up to his superior level. Of course, her family did not measure up either. Mary related that he treated them as if they were beneath him.

As life would have it this arrogant, self important man ended up in a memory care unit. Mary would come and visit often as she was still doing very well physically and mentally. One day she told how she came in and was looking for her husband. Much to her shock and surprise she saw him coming down the hall. He was walking in his arrogant, self important way as usual, but he was totally naked except for knee socks and he was wearing a Depends brief on the top his head like a chef's hat. Mary had a sad smile as she shook her head and said, "If only my mother could have seen this."

I will never forget this story. It brought to mind the story in the Bible about Nebuchadnezzar in Danial 4. It's important to have a good opinion of ourselves, because we are told to 'love our neighbor as ourselves', but it's a dangerous thing to feel you're superior.

*Name changed