Love, Not Judgment

Inspiration comes in many forms.  Sights and sounds.  The wind and the rain.  People.

How do you find inspiration in troubling times?  I ask this question in no way referencing anything political.  Yuck.

We’ve all been there.  Times in your life when you struggle to get through the day so you can move on to the next.  We all have our own way of dealing (or not dealing) with the issues in our lives.  What works for you may not work for someone else, so don’t push them.

When I was thirteen and at my mother’s funeral, several extended family members shared some words with me that I took to heart and probably shouldn’t have.  I was young and didn’t know better.  It took me decades to undo what I had done to myself after hearing those words.

Words can soothe, express love, kindness, sorrow, and many more things but they can also influence and cause harm.  Again, I’m not talking about anything political here.

The next time you are speaking with a friend or loved one about personal issues they are going through please remember that they are vulnerable.  If they’ve confided in you, then you have a responsibility to keep it confidential.  Your biggest responsibility to them is to think through carefully what you say to them.  Be there in love, not judgment.  Often the right move is just to listen and let them know you care.  You should share your thoughts with them if they ask, but remember that they are ultimately the one that has to deal with whatever is going on in their own way.

People are sometimes bent, sometimes broken and hopefully always restored.  This includes you.

LOVE, NOT JUDGMENT