Three Little Words

I’ll Be There
If you have ever had to call a friend in the middle of the night, to take a sick child to hospital, or when your car has broken down some miles from home, you will know how good it feels to hear the phrase ” I’ll be there. ” Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give. When we’re truly present for other people, important things happen to them & us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and spiritually. Being there is at the very core of civility.

I Miss You
Perhaps more marriages could be saved & strengthened if couples simply & sincerely say to each other “I miss you.” This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired & loved. Consider how ecstatic you would feel, if you received an unexpected phone call from your spouse in the middle of your workday, just to say “I miss you.”

I Respect You / I Trust You
Respect and trust is another way of showing love. Its conveys the feeling that another person is a true equal. If you talk to your children as if they were adults you will strengthen the bonds & become close friends. This applies to all interpersonal relationships

Maybe You’re Right
This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an argument and restoring frayed emotions. The flip side to “maybe you’re right” is the humility of admitting maybe “I’m wrong”. Let’s face it. When you have a heated argument with someone, all you do is cement the other person’s point of view. They, or you, will not change their stance and you run the risk of seriously damaging the relationship between you. Saying “maybe you’re right” can open the door to further explore the subject, in which you may then have the opportunity to get your view across in a more rational manner.

Please Forgive Me
Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults and failures. A man should never be ashamed to own up that he has been in the wrong, which is saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

I Thank You
Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who don’t take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is severely constricted often do not have the attitude of gratitude.

Count On Me
A friend is one who walks in when others walk out. Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the emotional glue that bonds people. Those that are rich in their relationships tend to be steady and true friends. When troubles come, a good friend is there indicating “you can count on me.”

Let Me Help
The best of friends see a need and try to fill it. When they spot a hurt they do what they can to heal it. Without being asked, they pitch in and help.

I Understand You
People become closer and enjoy each other more if they feel the other person accepts and understands them. Letting your spouse know in so many little ways that you understand them, is one of the most powerful tools for healing relationship. This applies to any relationship.

Go For It
We are all unique individuals. Don’t try to get your friends to conform to your ideals. Support them in pursuing their interests, no matter how weird they seem to you. Everyone has dreams, dreams that are unique to that person only. Support and encourage your friends to follow their dreams. Tell them to “go for it.”

I Love You
Perhaps the most important three words that you can say. Telling someone that you truly love them satisfies a person’s deepest emotional needs. The need to belong, to feel appreciated and to be wanted. Your spouse, your children, your friends and you, all need to hear those three little words “I love you.”

(ht: The Maverick Spirit)

Filed under: Encouragement, Words

The New Adjective

Tanner, who turned 4 in July, has been really using his new adjective a lot lately. Tonia and I both love it too much to correct his usage, so everyday is another opportunity to see it used in a new way.

The adjective? Soakin’.

Apparently he took soakin’ (from soakin’ wet) and made it a universal adjective meaning ‘extremely.’

So this morning he told me it was soakin’ dark in the room. A couple days ago while trying to pick up a dumbell, he told me it was soakin’ heavy. Of course, it’s soakin’ cold outside most mornings.

My son is soakin’ funny!

Filed under: Adjectives, Humor, Kids, Parenting, Tanner, Words

Tanner Said Damn

Yeah. He’s only 4 years old, and he used it in proper context. The funniest part (should I say funny?) is that when Tonia got after him for saying it, he responded by saying, “But I didn’t say Dammit”.

Ah, the joys of parenthood. He doesn’t hear that language at home. It’s possible he picked it up from a movie, but we’re positive he gets this stuff from school. After some intense questioning under a hot lamp, he said he got it from a kid that he went to school with last year. He went on to say how bad a kid that boy was. It’s amazing how at the mere age of 4 they can shift the heat off themselves and onto someone else. I’m not even sure I believe him about the specific source, he could be covering for someone, but I’m positive he got it in school. And again, he’s only four.

I can’t wait until Kindergarden next year!

Filed under: Parenting, School, Tanner, Words