A restaurant near my house has become a regular haunt of mine. I go there three times a week. I sit in a corner, read a book or try to string my haphazard thoughts into meaningful sentences. A few hours of uninterrupted reading sets my soul soaring. I look forward to spending some quality time there. However, something unexpected happened during my last visit. I was busy poring over a book, the restaurant was almost full. I could hear the exchange of warm pleasantries, snappy back and forth conversations, people making small talk and a group of giggly teenagers bursting out into loud guffaws.
suddenly, I saw a couple having a blazing row. A heavyset man in his thirties was shouting at his wife, while his two children were crying uncontrollably. The brutal and coarse language he chose to attack his wife left me utterly shocked. By now the woman too was shouting. Insults were flying thick and fast. They were shredding each other's dignity in full public view. It didn't stop there, other members of their family also joined in and started shouting. The happy scene at the restaurant swiftly degenerated into a fracas.This incident made me sad.
I understand that conflicts are unavoidable in a close relationship. There are days when we find ourselves out of tune with our family members. But why do we have to wash our dirty linen in public?
We can sort out our conflicts at home. We shouldn't make a mockery of ourselves. Moreover, I believe that we should solve these issues amicably. We shouldn't slash each other's hearts with razor-sharp words.We are usually polite to strangers, but at home, we explode at the tiniest affronts, take our family for granted and give fleeting attention to each other. We should be more loving and forgiving to our own families.
After all, you don't choose your family. "They are God's gift to you, as you are to them".