Food for thought

As I sit here eating my breakfast I am drawn to thinking about my post from yesterday.  (IF you missed it, please take a moment to scroll down and take a short read. )  I was thinking about judgement and forgiveness and how all of this has affected so much of my life.  All of my relationships have been affected by judgement and forgiveness.  Every single one of them.  As I realize how much of this thought is true, I wonder how many others in my life have been affected as I have been.  I wonder, if all of my friends, children, spouse, cousins, siblings, step siblings, Aunts, uncles, parents, and who ever I come in contact with have ever thought about how they are judging others.  I can not tell you how much this one thing has affected everything I am thinking of.  Did I judge some one because of something someone else said?  Did I judge someone because I choose to not pay attention?  Did I judge someone because I thought that my way was the only way?  The truth of the matter is that I did not live any of those persons life.  I have not lived in their body’s and minds their whole life.  I have not had the experiences that they have lived.  So who am I to judge ANYONE?  Be it family, friend or foe.  So I challenge everyone, take a serious look at who you are judging?   Did you chat with that person to get their side of the story?  Were you in their realm while they were making the decision.  Is it OK to let them live the life they are choosing?  How is it that others decisions are truly affecting you?  Are you the one doing the judging and putting “words in their mouth” (so to speak).  This last weekend was groundbreaking for me.  What a gift I have been given to truly see how it was my judgement of everyone around me that shaped so much of my life, and that it was in my power all along to change it.  How much easier my life would have been if I had realized this sooner.  So, take a look at you, yes, it will be difficult, have that honest conversation with yourself, and accept the answer you are given. And then forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for what you did not know, for what you have just learned and remember,  We are all on a journey.  One filled with bumps and bruises and breaks, but through it all Love is always there.  From places that are sometimes quite unexpected.