Say Nothing at All

One of my earliest memories about life came from Disney's movie 'Bambi'.  It was Thumper saying: If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all.  Hard words to live by.

Why is it that sometimes, the people closest to you, seem to treat you the worse?  I know it's a misunderstanding, they think they know you, when actually, they've judged you and always expect you to behave or say things in a way that justifies their assessment.  I believe this to be true as I am guilty of this behavior.

Years ago, I remember accepting behavior from someone I just met that I would never 'allow' my siblings to do.  Like choosing NOT to send their children to Catholic schools.  I felt that since our parents sacrificed to give all eight of their children a 1-12 Catholic education, that we were somehow obligated to do the same.  I was wrong.  We can all chose to raise our families in a way that suits us. We are all different!

It also bother's me is that some family members talk about each other behind their back.  Whatever happen to no put downs, or sticking up for each other?  Or how about going to the source and actually asking or confronting the person you have an issue with to find understanding in the situation?    After all, most problems stem from a lack of communication. We all have our own take or perspective.

Being aware of a behavior is the first step towards changing it.