Monday, May 4, 2009

Take a walk in my flip flops

I think we all have things that bug us...one of mine is being judgmental. I once heard that we are more annoyed with weaknesses in others that we either see or fear in ourselves. Now I think we all must be somewhat judgmental...like when we decide who we want to be friends with and what we find appropriate for our children to view and so on. What I find interesting is how many folks KNOW just what someone else OUGHT to do in certain situations. We all react differently...we are all different! When I was younger and didn't have children I just knew that my future children would never be brought to the store with dirty clothes on, or their hair a mess!! My children would be so well behaved and would never throw a PUBLIC tantrum!! I would NEVER yell at my kids or be unkind!! HA! and I do mean HA!! What a pipe dream! As I've grown older and as I've HAD children, I think of all those times I've judged another and I realize how YOUNG I was...how NAIVE I was. We all have struggles. Some have struggles right out in the open for all to see and others have more private, personal struggles and most, if not all of us have both. I'm sure I've handled some situations so poorly! I'm sure someone else could take my situation and figure out a much better way to handle it. I'm sure of it! But, it's not their situation, it's mine, and I'm handling it the best way I know how. A very wise friend of mine once said this "I'm so glad I don't have to be the judge". I remember those words each day. It's not my place to judge another..it's my place to love another. It's hard I know....I still find myself judging, sometimes......but I sure hope I spend more time loving.

6 comments:

Deb said...

Well put! And I think you do a fabulous job with your kids! (Boy was that judgemental?) I thought the same thing about my kids - they would never have a runny nose. Now, I just wait for the buggers to harden and stop the flow of more!

Lia said...

I just recently had these thoughts too. I think our own struggles are made more difficult and/or more painfull than they should be because of our knowledge that we were so hard on others. It's a two part problem. We regret being so severe AND it makes us more self concious that others are judging us the same way. There's no escaping the fact that we have to make judgements, but we need to be compassionate, understanding, charitable, without gile. I'll never put my children in harms way so that I can say I've not been judgemental. It's a balancing act.
Great life lesson isn't it?

Alison W. said...

We have all been there. Love you miss you!

Michelle S. said...

Yup. It is a two part problem. I just hope that my own boogers dry up, so that no more will flow out!!! LOVE that analogy!

Boy, this life sure is full of learning experiences!

Kim, you are one of the kindest, most forgiving people I know. Your children and husband are among the luckiest creatures on the whole earth! I don't know what prompted this entry, but you are awesome!!!

Cindy said...

I think we have all felt judged and judged others too. I think (this is probably judgemental) that we judge more when we are younger because we haven't had the life experiences yet, so it is easier to say someone should do this or that, i.e., having kids. Can we really say how someone should handle their kids if we haven't had any yet? ha!!! Or for those who don't have teenagers, yowsa, for those who don't will find out! ha!! LOL!!!
Keep smilin!

Brenda Scarlett said...

Thank you and amen!!!! I have to say that everytime I am down I go to your blog for a pick me up and you always deliver. This is EXACTLY how I have been feeling. I agree completly! Thank you for being that friend who understands me even before I understand myself :)