If someone accuses you of something you once did, say to him, “What matters is not what I did in the past, but what I am today.” If you have changed, say so. But if the accusation has no merit, the question of change doesn’t arise. If your accuser is right, and you still haven’t changed as much as you’d like, reply instead, “Is anyone perfect? And do you think I need your permission to wash my own laundry?” To finish that thought, you might say also, “I am what I am before my conscience and God.” In this way, you won’t lower yourself to self-justification or counter-accusation. If, on the other hand, your accuser has been vicious, you might reply: “Do your own laundry!”
