Happy new year friends! Our NYE was oh so quiet. We stayed in, had a few drinks after we put the baby to bed and.....fell asleep at 10. Don't worry, we woke up to see the ball drop then dragged ourselves up to bed. Exciting stuff people. 2016 was definitely the best year yet but we can't wait to see what 2017 has in store for our now family (human) of 3.
My resolution this year is to judge less. That's it. I like to think of myself as a fairly open-minded and accepting person. It's human nature to pass judgement, to compare, to make assumptions. But I believe, if we want to and if we work hard enough at it, we can teach ourselves to push those thoughts away. Or at the very least, keep our judgements to ourselves. Especially since having Fallon I've had so many thoughts on this topic rolling around in my head that putting them all together seemed a bit overwhelming. But I finally pulled everything into one post and just have been hesitant to hit publish. A new year brings a fresh start though so what better time than now?
I see you over there, judging me with your eyes. Don't think that just because you haven't used words that you haven't made it clear. I see your smug smile, your silent scold, your internal eye roll. You don't have to speak to hurt my feelings, to make me question myself, to ruin my day. I see you radiating negativity when you should be spreading kindness. I see you.
Most of us are parents, a lot of us are new parents and all of us are human. None of us are perfect, all of us are going through some kind of struggle, big or small. Really we are all just trying to do our best, mostly winging it and figuring life out as we go. We draw on our knowledge thus far and learn from our mistakes. Just because you get to point A a different way than I do doesn't make you right and me wrong. It doesn't make you better than me. It doesn't really matter at all. Isn't it about time we all just gave each other a break?
I'm trying my hardest every day to be a better mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, self. And you probably are too. So how is judging me helping either of us? It's so easy to look at someone else and say with certainty how differently they should be living life. But until you've walked in those exact shoes, you have no idea. I won't pretend I'm not guilty. Time and time again I've judged others without a second thought about it. But I resolve to now think twice.
The mom with the screaming toddler and a full grocery cart trying to get through check out. I see you. I won't assume you don't discipline your child. I won't wonder why you won't just leave the cart and go home. I won't judge you for taking what may be your only opportunity this week to buy groceries for your family. If you see me I'll smile because someday that could be me too. The teenagers corralled in front of the store I'm trying to get in with my stroller, giggling and texting and paying no attention to anyone else but yourselves. I see you. I won't assume you're rude and self absorbed. I won't wonder why you have no awareness of those around you. I won't judge you for being young and silly. If you see me I'll smile because once upon a time that was me too. The dad yelling at one kid on a bike to slow down, another to stay on the sidewalk and desperately trying to hold onto a third while the dog is walking you. I see you. I won't assume you can't control your children. I won't wonder where your wife is. I won't judge you for looking totally like you'd rather be watching the game with a cold one. If you see me I'll smile because one day you'll be my husband.
We're all just doing our best. Unless you're spoon feeding your baby whiskey, kicking your dog or strolling through Target naked, you won't get a second look from me. So let's all try to judge less and live more.
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