We All Have Our Challenges

So on Friday we attended our first Infant development playgroup, as my consultant has been recommending that we go. I think I had been putting it off thinking that compared to the other parents likely to be in attendance; the challenges we've been having with Sophia would seem, well insignificant. I guess if I were to be honest I felt like they would look at us and think, "what are you doing here?" I really wish I had got over myself and  had just gone earlier, as it was, dare I say rather refreshing to be around other parents who were/are struggling with their child's development. Most of the children were premature, I think a few had autism perhaps, and I believe one was deaf. It was refreshing to not have to explain, why my 10 month old isn't crawling; so refreshing to find myself around parents who are also facing the same challenges, but more then that, parents who, without having to say anything...understand. As we were talking with the one mother about her premature son, she pointed out several challenges she has faced, and I can honestly say that all of which I never would have considered. I would imagine that she felt the same way about my challenges.  The truth is we all have our challenges; and perhaps to us those challenges seem so much more severe then they actually are; we are parents after all, and all we want is to brag about how well are children are doing. I don't know why I care so much what people think, I've been struggling with the negativity I've been receiving when I'm out with Sophia and she's wearing her glasses, but why? Why do I let these ignorant people get to me? Her glasses help her see better; I know this, I've seen this, I shouldn't care what people say about her wearing them. I guess I wondered while talking to this mother as she was talking about how much she hated that her sons feet were still so puffy (a premature thing apparently) that he couldn't wear normal size shoes; is this how I sound when it comes to Sophia's glasses? I wear glasses, my husband wears glasses, Sophia wears glasses; it is what it is.  I think perhaps one of the best realizations I've come to through all of this; is not to judge people so much. Maybe that child acting out in the mall actually has autism, maybe that little boy you can't understand is actually deaf, or maybe that little girl wearing glasses, is actually blind.