Judgey McJudgersons

Yesterday I was told a story that I can't confirm whether or not it actually happened but it was good to hear because it reminded me of something I (and, let's be real, most people) sometimes do: judge others.

I was told that the supervisor of our building made a comment about how I was still asleep at 10:30 a.m. when she and our building manager came to check on our master bathroom, which has been mold/mildew covered for months (yes, we reported it months ago). They had woken me up and I groggily went to open the door. That was last week. Yesterday I was told that she said: "ugh, she's still asleep at this hour?!" in a way that insinuated that I was a lazy person. Our building manager allegedly came to my rescue and said: "well, she studies at night and sleeps by day." That isn't true but it was last semester when I did my studying into the late night/wee hours of the morning; he doesn't know that I'm taking a break from school.

After hearing what was allegedly said, I was obviously not happy. I'd had a particularly rough night on which I barely slept at night due to horrible GERD/acid reflux and the morning was when I was finally able to sleep. Of course, she didn't know this and automatically made a snap judgement based on what she saw. Just like she didn't know that I hadn't slept more than an hour or so that night, she also doesn't know that sometimes I sleep in because of my anemia and (possibly) platelet levels; I'm just zapped for energy and it's hard not to fall asleep some days. It's a medical scenario but it reminded me of how we all make judgments without having the full facts.

That child that is crying or babbling or unable to sit still in the pew at Mass? How do we know that that child doesn't have special needs or is sick and whatever ails them is making them uncomfortable? That person who absentmindedly cuts in front of us while we walk? How do we know they don't have something weighing heavily on their minds? The person to snaps at us out of the blue? How do we know that they're not just having a lousy day or that they lack sleep or were unable to eat because of circumstances beyond their control? All these are just examples of things most of us deal with yet we don't stop and consider the logical explanations.

Yes, there are people who are just rude and nasty out there, but I like to believe that most people are good with bad moments. We all have them. I know that I personally get grumpy when I don't eat or sleep properly. I don't appreciate jokes when I'm feeling sick because of how lousy I feel. I'm human and, while friends joke that I have the superpower of patience, sometimes I fail... but there's always an underlying reason for it.

It's so easy to judge. If we're honest with ourselves, we know that we all do it. We all know that we're not supposed to judge -- that we have absolutely no right to judge anyone -- but it sometimes just happens during a moment of weakness. My challenge to myself (and whoever wants to participate) is to try to not pass a single judgement; to be more aware of my thoughts and actions. Just like I don't like people making snap judgments on me based on what little information they have, I know other people feel the same way about their own lives.

Maybe the next time a child is being disrupted during Mass, we can pray for them since we don't know why they're being noisy... or pray that the one person who likes to turn around and give the stink eye to the parent doesn't do it for once. Maybe next time someone does something that makes us upset, we should try to remember that there could be an underlying reason for it; one that would be excusable if only we knew what it was.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts this morning. :D

Oh! I'm headed out of the country this weekend and I was wondering if I could possibly bother y'all for some prayers? Just for a safe trip and that the business I have to attend to will go smoothly. Please and thank you! :)

I should probably go eat something. Two pieces of toast an hour ago wasn't enough. Oops. lol.

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D