I have been thinking about choices and life. Some of us are single, some married. Some of us have kids and some don't. Some may be single with kids or even married with pets. I think you get the idea. We all have our own lives that we have made for ourselves based on our choices along the way. Some things may not have been what we'd initially planned for - pregnancy, job loss, death, financial trouble, separation and breakups. But sometimes we don't always plan for the positive things as well - a new job, marriage, pregnancy, relocation, etc. We are all on our own journeys. Some of us may have had similar experiences or they may be completely different.

Now, what has been on my mind is how we treat other people who may not be in the same place we're in or experienced the same things we have. My example is two friends - both of which are married, but one has a child and the other one doesn't have one quite yet (she's been working on it) but has a lot of experience working with children having been a nanny. So friend 'A', who has the child, and friend 'B' were talking and something came up about parenting and friend 'A' says to 'B', "well, what do you know, you're not a mother!!!". I would have been so pissed off if someone had of said this to me. Just because you have a child doesn't mean you know everything about parenting and just because you haven't had one, it doesn't mean that you don't know anything. I think what made this comment from 'A' to be so much worse is the fact that 'B' has been trying to have a successful pregnancy and unfortunately has had two miscarriages and that comment would have just been a huge slap in the face. Regardless, whether 'B' wanted kids or not, I don't think it's ever OK to be treated like that.

I guess the point is just to realize that while we may not all be in the same boat it doesn't mean that we are completely oblivious to what the other people from the other boats may be experiencing. Maybe this doesn't even make sense.

Just don't make assumptions.

Period.