To the Girl in Target

I was shopping at our local Target a little over a week ago, and as I walking through the store I overheard a young woman telling her mother about another girl who wouldn't dress out for gym class.

Her tone of voice can across to me that she thought it absolutely ridiculous that the other girl refused to change her clothes in front of everybody else. 

When I heard her talking, I wanted to stop and talk with the girl, but I didn't. I kept walking. 

I wish that I had stopped. I wish that I had told her what was on my heart and so even though I know that young woman will probably never read this I am going to share with you what I wanted to say to her.

To the Girl in Target:

"When you ridicule someone else for doing something or refusing to do something, you are  assuming that their story is the same as yours, but everyone is unique. Everyone has their own stories. You don't know this girl's story. She may refuse to change her clothes in front of everybody from simple modesty or shyness, or she may refuse to change because she lacks confidence in herself and her body or because she is ashamed of her body because she has gone through some type of sexual abuse. Instead of treating her with ridicule, you should be treating her with compassion and love. Befriend her, learn her story, and treat her with love and compassion. For that is what she needs the most. That is what we all need the most."