Dear Ms. Judgmental- By Susan Thomas

To the white haired,
sickly skinny,
uptight woman at the mall yesterday.
You know who you are,
you breezed by on your high horse,
looking down on my family.
You sneered in disgust
at the sight of two parents
pushing the handicap button
instead of opening it with our hand.
You muttered words of outrage
as you briskly walked by.
Words of judgement.
Trying to shame us
for our repulsive act.
How could two young people
be so lazy? You must have thought.

Well Miss perhaps you didn't notice,
but my husband was using a cane that day.
You see he gets tired more easily these days.
It's not his fault.
Mam while you passed judgement I was just happy
to spend a day out with my family.
My husband has cancer.
He started chemo this week.
That doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter that while he had the energy
we decided to have some over due fun.
Or that at some point he started to feel tired
and even a little sick.
Just to have him there was a blessing.
But don't worry.
Remember you are so much better than us.
Why should that make a difference?

Judgement was diffnetely passed,
not only on my husband,
but on me to.
I'll extend some benefit of the doubt
and assume you didn't pass judgement
on my eleven month old son.
Perhaps you didn't notice,
but I'm pregnant you see.
With number two on the way
I easily feel sick and tired.
I was having a bad spell at that moment.
I was feeling beyond tired.
So tired I wondered how I could even walk to the car.
It was one thing to be on my own two feet,
but I was also pushing my son in his stroller
as he fussed and cried because he was sleepy.
Each step was a chore.
Not to mention that the idea
of juggling a door handle
and getting hold of stroller in time
wasn't a marathon I was up for running.
So I pushed that button.
Hoping that this small act
would give me the energy to walk to the car.
But don't worry.
Don't feel bad.
You're better than me remember?

As you sit a top your high horse.
I must give a warning.
That one day you will find yourself without your horse.
Most likely something will have firmly knocked you down.
Then you will find yourself being judged when it seems unfair.
I pray you be careful who you judge.
Who you act better than.
For if  you treat friends the same way you treated us
you'll find yourself without a helping hand.