Unsolicited Advice and Other Stories

I had a bit of a COVID scare last week. I purposely stayed off of social media until I knew the results, On Saturday night, I found out I tested negative. While most were supportive and upbeat, I had a handful of folks with unsolicited advice: I should be tested again because it was likely a false negative. Wow, way to throw cold water on you after an agonizing wait. And while I know the advice came from a place of sincerity, that particular moment was not the time to hear this kind of news. Eventually, I killed the post. My unsolicited advice: think of how the other person will receive that news. Imagine you tell people you're cancer-free (not the most accurate analogy) and people pile on saying, "It's probably wrong and will come back." A lesson for us all.