I need to vent for just a second.

I like WIC (the Woman, Infant, Child government program).  It gives moms and babies good, healthy food. The choices are somewhat made for them, but there's still some room to pick the meals that work best for your family.  It has room for improvement (like providing more fresh (or frozen or canned or dried) fruits and vegetable options)... but overall it's a really cool program.

I've thought about how awesome this would be when applied to Food Stamps (now known as the SNAP program--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).  I've thought plenty about how, if the government's purpose is to keep families fed and healthy during hard times, maybe they should be provided food that will do that for them. Food with the greatest nutrient density.

But I guess I figured out today that I have a real problem with people saying that "THEIR" money shouldn't go toward people buying whatever food they want. Or "those people" don't know how to make good choices.  Or "they" shouldn't be able to buy things. Or "they" don't want to get off of food stamps now that it works like a debit card and they don't have to be embarrassed about purchases.

THAT, I have a problem with.

We NEVER EVER know or can understand everything that's going on with a person. We never know what struggles they've been through. Most of us don't know what it's like to be hungry or food insecure. We don't know if "they" are employed.  We can't assume that "they" like being on government assistance. We can't blame "them" for being overweight---rich and poor people alike are overweight.

Life and issues and health are complex. It's all intertwined with.. everything else. Let's not judge. Let's open our hearts and try to really understand one another, and have grace for each other when we don't.

Love one another.