I once attended a funeral where the priest read an obituary that did not acknowledge two of the deceased mother’s children. The young lawyer in me wanted to “object” while he spoke. I said nothing. I could not fully understand the dynamics of the situation.
I wonder from time to time about the unspoken words between the mother and her children. I wonder when they stopped acknowledging each other. Was it in an instant moment or a slow distancing? They surely shared significant moments, presumably the children’s firsts of many things, and celebrations of birthdays and holidays. Were joyful times erased by hurtful words or unspoken cares, or would each say no joy existed? Perhaps, each carried hurts and blamed the other for those.
Humans sometimes choose to carry stuff with them for many years. Carrying negative thoughts and feelings around tends to disconnect us from each other and ourselves. As we observe our own actions, we begin to see our role in situations. Although we cannot change circumstances, we start to recognize our ability to act and speak with both compassion and confidence and show up as a better version of ourselves next time.
Is there an unspoken conversation on your mind? How long do you plan to carry it? Could you benefit from conflict resolution?
