Ignoring the judgment of the crowd
The wooden bench beneath me felt hard and unforgiving as I maintained my posture. I could feel the weight of a hundred judgmental stares boring into my back.
To my left, the older women of the congregation whispered behind their hands, casting sharp glances our way.
I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me uncomfortable. I stared straight ahead at the altar, ignoring the palpable disapproval surrounding us.
My presence here was a defiance they hadn’t expected.