Gentle Conversation

Treat the ones you love at least as good as you treat your best customer. That means no shouting, impatience, or degrading talk of any kind. No exceptions. It's pure fallacy to tell someone you love, "I can let down my guard with you because I love and trust you."

Maybe you've seen it happen. The teenager with the Beaver Cleaver manners, who turns to his mother when he thinks no one sees, and directs a stream of swears at her ala Eddie Haskell. How does it happen that bad behaviour is ever OK?

Self-control is a habit. It's not too late to change the way you talk to your loved ones. When you eliminate cursing, exageration and sarcasm from a heated discussion, you'll find yourself in a more civil conversation.

The world is in need of more kindness. Who is more deserving than the people we love? Something God-like happens when we add holiness to the language we use.

- Susan Diamond

Language of Love

Thanks be to You
for semi-colons,
for m-dashes, ellipses, and commas.
Glory be in the languages of Earth,
in Morse code and Braille,
in Swahili and Portuguese.
You made us social beings,
then gave us the gift that binds,
that brings us together
in conversation, chatter, exclamation.
Joy comes from communication,
as does peace.
Help us to use our words wisely and well.