How many times have you heard the phrase, “Silence
is golden?” Do you know what it
means? It means that sometimes saying
nothing is preferable to speaking.
With the upcoming holidays, we felt this was an
appropriate blog to post. The holidays
are a time when people lose their cool, their patience and out of stress and
frustration from traffic, crowded stores and malls, parking issues and of
course not getting enough sleep from trying to do too much, words fly that
shouldn’t.
Is it really a store clerk’s fault that the last
iPhone has been sold?
Is it really the waitress or waiter’s fault that
you had to wait 2 hours to get a table for dinner when you didn’t make a
reservation and all the shoppers like you don’t want to go home and cook dinner
and are also eating out, too?
Is it really the parking attendant’s fault that you
failed to read the 15 minute only parking sign?
The point is we should all take a moment to pause
and much of the time, keep our mouths shut so we don’t take out our
frustrations on innocent people.
The holidays come every year, the same time of
year. This is not a secret. It’s not like anyone did not tell you when
they were. You knew, you did not plan
ahead. Whose fault is that?
It is also good to remember the silence is golden
rule at holiday gatherings and parties and watch your alcohol intake. Nothing could be worse than getting sauced
and blurting out that your co-worker Jenny is job hunting and the company boss
is just an earshot away. Stop the office
gossiping, backstabbing and sabotage and keep your mouth closed.
Silence is also golden around children. Don’t ruin the holidays for them. Let them believe in their family traditions
and the magic it holds even if you don’t.
It is not their fault you lost the magic and are bah-humbug about the
season. Let them enjoy their holiday
break from school and take in what the season has to offer without your
tainting it because you see the world differently.
Family gatherings are also a good time to remember
the silence is golden rule. If you know
Uncle Edgar gets upset when the family talks about his toupee, Aunt Ida is
sensitive about her weight gain and your cousin Monica isn’t pregnant yet but
has been trying and trying – keep quiet, remove the pressure, negativity, and
unproductive discussion that only causes hard feelings, awkwardness and heated
family arguments. This is also NOT the
time to break confidences, have open discussions that were private between
other family members, or sharing your opinions that can cause discord,
uneasiness and make loved ones feel uncomfortable.
Silence can also be golden if you are too
joyous. The holidays are not always
jolly for everyone. Sometimes they are
difficult and painful – particularly for people who have lost loved ones and
have this time of year representative of personal tragedies; those who are
dealing with illness and disease; divorce; a miscarriage; the season marks the
anniversary of a natural disaster or horrific loss/devastation from Mother Nature
or they have a family member overseas in the war zone fighting for our
country.
While it’s great you may be cheery and festive,
sometimes your cheeriness and festive mood is not particularly welcomed if
someone else is struggling emotionally, financially, physically or
mentally. Some people are just waiting
to get through the season and want the holiday music to be over so they are not
reminded of the unhappy memory or the fact they do not have the means to
participate in the way your jolly nature expects. Be generous, offer support and love, but keep
your mouth shut from words that may be more painful to hear at this time of
year.
Above all – be conscious and think before you speak
if you choose to speak. If unsure – keep quiet. Your mouth sometimes can cause
a lot of problems – pushing people’s buttons, being selfish with your thoughts
and actions, saying things that rub people the wrong way and not putting
yourself in someone else’s shoes.
And remember that silence is golden – not just
around the holidays but it can be helpful in many social or household
situations all year long.
Be kind. Be thoughtful and courteous. Remember your
manners. It’s the season of holiday
goodies and eating. Enjoy them – and
since it is rude to talk with your mouth full, best to just savor the tasty
treats and keep the peace.
~ Athena
& Tess – We Solved It
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for everyday PROBLEMS