“It’s not what they said; it was the way they said it.”
The more I’ve been reflecting on relationships and interaction the more I’ve realised this clichéd phrase actually has a huge amount of truth wrapped up in it. Language is so important but so too is how it is delivered. If I’m telling my daughter I’m proud of her for reaching the top of the climbing wall (for another time!) in a tiresome or monotonous tone then what will she hear? The tone of our voices is so important when we share our feelings because ultimately our feelings will be shared in how we say things and not just what is said. When I snap ‘thank you’ at my son for eventually doing what he’s been asked a 100 times already then am I showing genuine gratitude or is thanks not really the underlying emotion I want to convey?! As my patience has been tested the past week with many changes going on around us I’ve been reminded that words themselves are meaningless unless we REALLY mean them. For some people, those who are more reflective among us, it is easier to think befo