I lost my mother recently. One of the last pieces of advice she shared with me was "Stop being so judgmental of others. Most people are doing the best they can."

That nugget of wisdom came to mind as I read the responses from today's LW's detractors. They know nothing about this woman apart from what she chose to reveal in her letter, yet they label her as lazy and whiny. They self-righteously accuse her of wanting to quit her soul-sucking job to sit home and watch TV.

I don't see that. I see a woman who is still reeling from the shock of unexpectedly losing someone she loved. I see a woman whose loss forced her to face the fact that half her life has passed with nothing to show for it, but is probably scared shitless at the thought of becoming completely financially dependent on her husband even with his blessing. She wants to quit her job to figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Who among us hasn't had that same desire?

I'm jealous as hell of her opportunity. In her position I would have typed that resignation letter instead of asking Carey what she should do. But I can't judge her because I don't know her. I encourage her to follow her dream, whatever it may be. To her detractors I ask that although you may not agree with her, don't judge her. She's only doing the best she can.

...you are the infinitely superior Alpha to us Epsilons who have the audacity to speak the truth about the pointless little corporate jobs that suck the life out of us while we're only trying to pay the mortgage on our crappy little bungalows in the shadow of your palatial estate on Mt. Olympus.

Now please be a good boy and go back to your corner office with a view and figure out why LW's letter threatens you enough to lash out so vehemently. BTW, your shiny, happy person typing your letters and keeping your calendar ten feet away from you may not appear to be a whiny malcontent, but if your letters accurately reflect your personality, rest assured she's probably plotting your demise.

If LW's only alternative is to serve overpriced lattes at Starbucks, I'll pay for the pleasure of watching her spit in yours.

Jeez, shut up already. There are enough pompous, arrogant asses out there with the insecure need to prove their superiority.

Now I'm being judgmental, but old habits die hard.

Is it because you're looking for a good time? Is it because you're ready for another relationship? If you're simply looking to get laid, there are any number of places in NYC where you can meet women who are out for the same reason. If you're looking for another relationship, I agree with "BTBT wrote a screenplay". You have to take some time to rediscover yourself and completely get over your ex, which I suspect hasn't occurred yet. Women can sense when a man isn't completely over a past relationship and they're not anxious to compete with the ghost of wife/girlfriend past.

You can't enjoy the company of others if you don't enjoy your own first.

...do you ever have anything positive to say? Talk about whiny.

I live four miles from NYC, right across the river in NJ, and I'm dying to get out. The traffic is hideous, auto insurance is the highest in the nation (which explains why many NY/NJ residents illegally register their vehicles out of state), and don't even ask about housing prices. The only reason my husband and I own a home is because we inherited it from his grandmother, and we're still heavily mortgaged.

Multiply that several times over in the city.

Salaries are indeed phenomenal if you're well-qualified and can hurdle past the hundreds of other better-qualified candidates. But the difference is quickly eaten up by city and NY state taxes in addition to federal taxes and those of your state of residence if you commute into NYC from another state. Then factor in the cost of commuting and even your meals. Only in NY can you pay $7.00 for a stale bagel and a bottle of water and be grateful for the privilege.

If you're anxious to savor city life, take a previous poster's advice and move to a smaller city with a more reasonable cost of living. Blindly moving to NYC already in debt and with no job prospects or a plan is courting disaster.

Your small college town sounds lovely; we'll happily trade places with you.

...for giving me yet another reason not to sleep at night. You do realize I'm now going to leave my desk and tear apart my house looking for the little bastards? Despite the mountain of work that pays the bills and allows me to run a home-based business, I've got a case of the creepy-crawlies that won't go away.