IMHO

IMHO: In my humble opinion. NOT!

"Everyone is entitled to my opinion", placard my sister sent me.

"My favorite way home is past the cemetery since it's about the only place in the whole town where people keep their opinions to themselves" www.storypeople.com

Uriah Heep was a character in one of Charles Dickens' books. He was a smarmy toad who referred to himself as humble. Other people can call one humble; a truly humble person never would.

I am one of the most opinionated people I know. My sister hit it on the head. I will stop people on the street to tell them how fabulous they look, or to disagree with the way they parked, although I am getting better at minding my own business. Is it age or exhaustion or am I finally learning boundaries?

It is hard to watch grown-up children make choices I would not make. It is even harder to shut up and not voice them. My in-laws were so good about that. I know they bit their tongue on everything from vegetarianism, to following a spiritual leader, to not baptizing our children. They were just there for us, loving and keeping their judgements to themselves. And when we started eating fish but not beef, they didn't argue, just made fish.

My daughter made a mistake and was quite upset. She came over and I made her some comfort food and listened to her. I wasn't quite as good as her grandmother. I could not help give advice and it wasn't what she wanted to hear. Sometimes my other daughter will have to preface her statements with telling me she isn't asking for advice or fixing, she just wants to talk.

So I am learning to let them live their own lives. It is what we do from when they are babies. We do everything to make them strong independent people. I heard someone say they would love to keep their babies in a bubble and not let them grow up. I know what she meant but what a hell that would be. A dear friend's child never aged, stayed newborn mentally as her little body got bigger. Hell.

Today, and I can't promise I will make it past the next ten minutes, I am going to try not only to keep my opinions to myself, (Ma, are you OK?) I am also going to try not to judge anyone harshly. Today is give the world a break from my humble opinions day, except of course, this blog.