Every family or group occasionally experiences a clash or a struggle. Sometimes, these conflicts are ignored and not resolved for the sake of “peace”, or to protect a participant from the discomfort of accountability.
photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Often there is a benign conflict in which people want different things at the same time and/or in the same place. Neither person is necessarily bad or wrong; this only means that a compromise may be needed.
Sometimes, one or more of us can get hooked by a word or action, and be flooded with unwieldy emotions from our past. Let's allow ourselves to feel vulnerable. Let us embrace our feelings and just let them flow. The resulting release can help us realize what is truly bothering us. It can be helpful to differentiate between our old feelings and our new ones.
Unfortunately, in our culture, women are often expected to take responsibility for much of the acknowledging and peacemaking. We are so much better off when we all soldier through to a resolution where everyone feels heard.
We don’t have to fear communication. Behind any discontent we can hold a huge well of love.