The Cookie Thief
by Joanne Steenberg, Penobscot, ME
It is hard to love when we are judging someone. Letting go of judgement is a powerful and important skill to master. It requires practice and patience, but more than anything it requires awareness. Listen to your inner dialogue.
Our world is waking up. Love and acceptance of all is our goal. Remember that everyone is doing their best with what they’ve been given. As soon as you hear yourself categorize people or make judgements about another — stop. You don’t know their story.
When we take the time to truly know ourselves, that self-knowledge becomes the foundation of our compassion for others. It is compassion that keeps the world turning. Speak your truth with courage, but listen just as carefully, especially to those whose views differ from your own. Seek to understand them. Honor their humanity and appreciate the effort they make to live, strive, and do the best they can in their own lives.
We all have stories worthy of sharing when we’ve misjudged another or caught ourselves “categorizing”. Enjoy this powerful one.
The Cookie Thief by Valerie Cox
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be
… grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”
With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would 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… oooh, brother. 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 galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
The cookie thief is one of my favorites of all time. How quickly we judge another!
Lots of love to you all. Happy Spring. How can we love each other and let go of judgement?
If you judge people, you have no time to love them. – Mother Teresa
Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances. – Wayne Dyer
Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right. – Jane Goodall
Reprinted from the weekly Power of Love column in the Penobscot Bay Papers.
Joanne Steenberg is an award-winning columnist whose heartfelt and insightful writing has captivated readers across Penobscot Bay Press publications for years. As the creator of The Power of Love, a widely read column exploring compassion, human connection, and personal growth, she blends personal storytelling, wisdom, and cultural insight in a way that resonates deeply with audiences of all backgrounds. Beyond her work as a writer, Joanne has had a dynamic career spanning education and entrepreneurship. Her course, POWER, (self empowerment for teens and adults) has been taught in high schools since 1987. She is also the founder of The Love Card, a global pay-it-forward movement dedicated to spreading love and joy worldwide (www.thelovecard.org). poweroflovestories@gmail.com
