Listen and be heard.

1 Corinthians chapter 7 speaks about marriage. A very suiting topic for today. 

See, last night I went and hung out with a couple friends, had a few drinks and went home. Well in the process of doing so I told Lynne that I wouldn't be out late. Well that plan got tossed out around drink 3 or 4 when we decided to go to a different place for a few more drinks. Lynne had been calling me and texting me but I was not aware that my phone was vibrating in my pocket. Well needless to say I went about three hours without actually looking at my phone (that's a record aside from the time that I spend without my phone sleeping) By the time that I got home there she was angry with me. 

At that point I was tired and just wanted to go to bed. Well Lynne was not ready for bed, Lynne was ready to have a discussion about why I had been ignoring her (which really wasn't the case) Being tired, I on the other hand did not want to have this discussion and of course the discussion commenced and eventually got to the point that we were arguing. To be completely honest I was just tired and perhaps a little intoxicated and just wanted to pass out and felt as though I was being attacked. Well if I would have just given her ten uninterrupted minutes to explain how she was feeling I could have saved an hour of argument and saved myself from sleeping somewhere other than my bed. 

The truth is, I was being selfish, whether it's because of the circumstances or because, according to Lynne, I am selfish. I was not sympathetic to her need to express herself. If I would have listened I probably would have realized that all it really was, is that she was worried about me and that I told her that I would be leaving to head home 3 hours before I really did. Over all I would have saved the argument, she still would have been upset but we at least would have been able to communicate efficiently and went to bed together as married couples should. 

To communicate and be selfless seems to be key. To listen and try to understand rather than argue and fight over something that isn't worth arguing over. To have the ability to resolve the issue or put it in the past and focus on your future together. If we could all do this then the ideal relationship we could have. But the reality is that we are all different. We cannot always find it in ourselves to see the other side of things and compromise and use our mistakes as the building blocks of a better future. 

"Forgive me"