Needed to get this off my chest ...

So, we had a new girl start at work a little over a month ago. She transferred from one of our other salons because she didn't get along with the manager there. She had a reputation but I resolved to give her a chance before I judged. Since she chose to leave her previous salon she was given the stipulation that she maintain the same sales that she did, without taking walk ins ahead of the rest of us. Well, she took a lot of walk ins she shouldn't have, to the point of being ridiculous. I bit my tongue and figured things would work themselves out. Finally one Saturday I reached my breaking point. She double booked herself with walk ins when there were three of us with openings. After work I pulled my manager aside and let her have it. I was angry to the point of tears. She was affecting my paycheck and I had enough.

Rewind a few days ... she had been oddly bloated in her abdomen. She said, "Melissa, feel this, its as hard as a rock!" We teased her that she was pregnant or constipated. She made a doctor's appointment and discovered ovarian cysts. Her sister had them atone time, no biggie.

Fast forward to the Monday after my Saturday freakout. I am cleaning my combs in the back room when my manager walks in. "I have some sad news," she says. I freeze. I am in the same spot, doing the same thing as when she said those words to me almost two years ago when another one of our co-workers had cancer. That co-worker died 4 weeks later. "Our little Katie has cancer," she said. "Oh my God," is all I could utter. I turned back to the sink fighting tears. My manager asked if I was ok, and all I could choke out is, "I was so mad at her." Over money, over a stupid pissing match, that all seems so STUPID an inconsequential now.

I feel like I was being tested. What is important to me? I let money rule me and now I regret that so deeply. If I would have just rode it out for48 hours, I would have never said those horrible things about her, I would have never brought my feelings out into the glaring, unforgiving light. I was tested, and I failed miserably and now all I can do is regret and pray. She went in today for a full hysterectomy and they were unable to determine if the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes because they were so inflamed. I am so scared for her. She has two very small children at home, she just lost her mother to cancer a year ago... Please pray for her, because it all seems so hopeless right now.