In general, I try not be judgemental. I see parents making choices I wouldn't make, and I try to remind myself that I don't know their children or their lives, so I can't judge their choices. I see wives speaking meanly to their husbands, and I try to remind myself that I can't judge that choice; I don't see what goes on at home. I see people who choose not to care for themselves, and I try to remind myself that I haven't lived their life; in their situation I might also feel hopeless or useless.
But I know that, when it comes down to it, I CAN be judgemental. Despite trying to remember that it's not my place, I've judged women when I hear their harsh words... I've judged parents when I see the movies their kids watch... I've judged co-workers who don't seem to put 100% into their students...
So when I was judged recently, it hit me hard. Someone judged our choice of toy for Nicholas. Something petty, I know... but I instantly found myself wanting to go on the defensive. I, in no way, feel guilty that our 5 year old has a Nintendo DS. It serves a purpose. He gets to play it once a month or so when we drive to Bakersfield, and then, he usually only gets to play it 1 way. The rest of the time he draws on his writing pad or plays with his white board binder or tag pen and books. On the rare occasion we travel somewhere farther away than Bakersfield, he can play it for the road trip part. It's no worse than sitting your child in front of a DVD player in the car, right? He DOES have Mario Kart, but he also has Magic School Bus Oceans and is getting ISpy Universe for Christmas. As educational as some of the other products on the market? No, but he has educational games for it... but, but, but see... I'm already getting defensive :P
Honestly, it may have been "that time of the month," but for some reason I really took that judgement to heart... and I think that was good. While I'm sure I'm judged more often, I rarely hear of it and what you don't know doesn't hurt you. This time, I did hear, and it did hurt, and it really made me think. I'm not called to judge. I'm called to love. So while I'll never be perfect in this department, it's made me want to try harder not to judge the choices of others. Not only is it not my job, but I also know how it feels and really, I don't want to be the cause of someone feeling like that. We're all just trying to live each day doing the best we can... that won't look the same for everyone... and that's okay :)
