Tuesday, January 29, 2013

She said WHAT?!


Ever have one of those days, where everything is going just peachy and you're feeling fine, and then you read something that just sets your hair on end and sends you hurtling into a bad mood in 1.2 seconds? I had one of those days today.

Normally I don't let the little things bother me. I live by the adage that I should never take things personally. I think that whatever someone says to me reveals more about them than it does about me. I firmly believe that I don't know what your life is really like, therefore I am not permitted to comment on it, and vice-versa. I respect people's decisions, and I expect the same in return. I was raised to believe that we should say nice things to one another. You know, Be Kind. Maybe that's where I've been mistaken.

I received a very rude message today from someone who felt the need to comment disparagingly on my parenting skills, my values, my faith and my lifestyle. It was a very personal attack. And I was stunned.

This is someone who doesn't know me well. We were very good friends at one time, but haven't been close for years. There has been no consistent communication between us in a very long time. So I was baffled - by the venom, by the rudeness - but mostly I was baffled as to why I was chosen as a target.

It's a very sad commentary on society in general, and this person's life in particular. I am saddened by the fact that common decency is no longer common. I am saddened that someone would lash out so viciously  without provocation. I am saddened that this person must be dealing with something that is too big for them to bear. And I am saddened that I let it hurt my feelings.

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." ~ His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

"Deeds of kindness are equal in weight to all the commandments." ~The Talmud



1 comment:

  1. I am so sorry this happened to you. I don't really have any profound advice as to how you should handle it except to pray for the person who sent the message. Who knows how God may use the whole experience?

    ReplyDelete