I understand you

Understanding.... It is one of the greatest gifts you can give someone. It is humble. It is forgiving. It is love.

Many times we don't give the gift of understanding because we don't have it. We are still in a place in our lives where we have not experienced certain things, which is essentially immaturity. For instance, people who judge a woman who stays in an abusive relationship typically have not been in one before and therefore do not have the understanding that would allow them to be compassionate about her situation. People who judge someone for being overweight have often not struggled with weight or take shortcuts like bulimia or pills, surgery, etc to maintain their physique.

People who have been through it know the struggle. They have the understanding and they often give it freely, without judgement, reaching out to help others whenever possible. However, the people with the least experience and compassion seem to be the ones acting like the experts and giving their opinions ad nauseam. I need more understanding for them.

If you haven't been through it, you don't know what it's like. Of course there are certain truths that apply to life... Of course you can voice those truths... but if you haven't been there, it's hard to tell someone how to get from there to where you are. Everyone is on a journey and you have to be understanding if you want to be understood. If you have no need for understanding, keep living. You will.

Try to put yourself in someone else's shoes today. You never know when you will have to walk in them yourself.

Blessings,

Chelsea Nichole