[Teisha Nolen]

I would like to I tend to be patient and try to put myself in someone else’s shoes before judging. Sometimes, to the point where I tend to rationalize and excuse treatment that I should not accept. Unfortunately, I can get to a point after having “rationalized” for so long that I blow up in a way and, at times, can blow things out of proportion. I will then feel slighted that I gave the benefit of the doubt, only to feel as if I am punished for it later. This can be unfair to those around me and can set me up for difficulty in my relationships. I think it is important to recognize that no matter what face a person presents, there is always the chance of an underlying struggle. I think of days and times in my life where I have struggled, and how I worked so hard to hide that from those around me. No one knew what I was going through or feeling. I think it is important to understand that we don’t always have the whole story, and we can’t hold those in our lives to standards we wouldn’t want to hold ourselves to.