Life can make me feel like that, too. A little mistake and I'm cringing, worried about what people will think of me. I walk down the hallways, feeling like my life is one embarrassing stain.
The problem comes when I'm not aware that my mistakes are the same ones others make. My friend reminded me of this fact when she pulled me aside and asked if the stain on her shirt made it too horrible for her to wear. She was so embarrassed, she could hardly walk out in public.
Want to know something funny? I wouldn't have even noticed if she hadn't pointed it out to me. She was worrying for nothing. That got me thinking. How many times have I walked around worrying what people thought of me, when they were really just thinking about their own lives? How many times have I agonized over something I'm going through, when it's a problem that many people deal with? Am I the only one to have ever done something stupid? No. Am I the only one to have people make fun of her? Of course not.
The thing about stains, whether they are food on a shirt or mistakes on a life, is they show us we are human. People see them and relate to them. "Yep, I've done the same thing." Stains help us connect and feel compassion for one another. "Oh, poor thing, she must be so embarrassed." And they teach us things. I will never again hold my cup by the lid. I now know it's best not sending a text when I'm angry. I also know that with a little work, I can eventually get the stains out.