The Power of Words
My parents have been married for nearly 30 years. The only real piece of relationship advice they've ever imparted on me is this: "Respect each other." So often, we lash out in anger or frustration, only to feel regretful once we've calmed down and regained perspective. How many times have you heard, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that" after an especially hurtful exchange, with the expectation that all would somehow magically be forgotten? When we're angry, our defenses go up. Our adrenalin pumps. We're flooded with emotion. We want the [perceived] source(s) of our anger to be perfectly aware of what they've done to create this feeling for us. And thus, we become more uninhibited and apt to express ourselves in ways that perhaps we ordinarily would not. Suddenly, "I feel hurt that you forgot our anniversary" becomes, "You're a selfish, inconsiderate jerk who never thinks about my feelings and I hate you!" I w...