To Be a JUDGE...

is something I would not want to be.

But, man, I surely do it a lot.

She is complaining about her health.....(I step in- in my mind, not verbally - and judge about her unhealthy eating habits.)

He complains about his alcoholic son....(I step in and judge him about how he was not a very good example of that himself.)

She says her grandkids are unappreciative and ungrateful...(I step in - my my mind again - and think she has not been grateful for what her husband has done for her.)

YIKES, there am I...being the JUDGE....and yet, I DO NOT WANT TO BE LIKE THAT AT ALL.

I want to think open mindedly and without bias or prejudice AND  MOST OF ALL, EMPATHETICALLY; LIKE I WANT THEM TO BE WITH ME.

So, I must just try harder.  When I find myself judging, I need to THINK DIFFERENTLY.

I need to focus on what they are really saying, recognizing that those are real challenges for my dear friends; my problems might be different than their problems, but I have plenty of my own.

AND I DON'T WANT TO BE JUDGED ON THE THINGS I AM SUFFERING OVER!

Life has so many lessons, but man oh man, it surely takes me a long time to learn them!