Some of us need to bury our egos today, before we end up burying the people we love.
A few years ago, a woman shared a heartbreaking story that still lingers with me.
It was a regular Monday morning. She had prepared breakfast as usual, but her husband wasn’t pleased with the way she sliced the bread. What should have been a minor comment quickly turned into an argument. Both of them, stubborn and full of pride, refused to back down. The small disagreement escalated into a cold war that lasted for days.
The husband, who knew his wife’s love language, tried to reach out to her subtly, a gentle touch, a soft word, small gestures meant to soften her heart. But she had made up her mind: she would not give in until he apologized first.
She knew about his heart condition.
Three days after the argument began, in the middle of the night, her husband suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest. In pain and struggling to breathe, he reached out and touched her, desperately trying to wake her for help.
Still angry and half-asleep, she assumed he was trying to seek affection. In her pride, she pushed his hand away and turned her back on him.
He passed away that same night during the struggle.
By morning, she woke up, still upset, got dressed, and left for work without saying a word to him. She didn’t even glance at his side of the bed.
It was only after she returned from work that evening that she realized something was wrong. Her husband was still lying in the same position, cold and unresponsive.
What began as a silly argument over sliced bread ended in a lifetime of regret. The husband left without a word from her and up till today she lived in regret because her husband was her best friend.
This is a true story. And the painful truth is, it could happen to any of us.
In marriage, in families, and in our closest relationships, we must learn to choose peace over being right. We must learn to swallow our pride before pride swallows the people we cherish most.
Because sometimes, the last argument you have with someone… truly becomes the last.
Bury the ego. Choose love while there is still time.