The Sound You Never Want to Hear

This blog is the second in the series, My Top 10 Blunders and How You Can Avoid Them

My wife, Cathy, and I have routinely discussed how hectic and busy Mondays can be each week.  In fact, Monday night is her night to cook as I usually get home the latest on those nights. One busy Monday morning around 10 a.m., I noticed my cell phone ringing and that it was Cathy calling.  I knew this must be an emergency so I answered my phone, “What’s going on?” Cathy replied, “The dishwasher broke, I can’t even get it to turn on.” I quickly replied, “What the hell do you want me to do about it from the office?”CLICK! It was a loud click, too.

I immediately realized I had made a big mistake.  I had let the stress of the moment seize my attitude and I unfairly snapped at someone that I dearly love. Someone who loves me and supports me in all that I do. She eventually forgave me, but it took more than a few flowers for me to dig out of this one. (I only wish I had been smart enough to take flowers home that night but by the end of the day, I had forgotten how loud that CLICK was.) And yes, from time to time she will tell that story to our friends or family for a few laughs. 

Why do we forget at times to treat our loved ones with the love and respect they deserve? Our family and friends always deserve our best, our love and our respect. In fact, Harvard recently published research that confirmed their 70 year study of people revealed that the happiest people develop very strong personal relationships with family and friends.

My advice:  When under stress, always pause and take deep breath before responding.