… mistake my lack of engagement in your argument as a sign that I don’t care — or don’t understand — your point of view.
Please don’t think that just because you speak louder than me that you will convince me that I’m wrong and you’re right. The louder you speak, the less I listen. If we agree to disagree, we’re both right. And peace wins.
Please don’t use my faults as weapons against me when you’re feeling scared and vulnerable. Accept your own misgivings, and know that your human foibles are the very things I love most about you.
Please don’t think you can hurt me with your perfectly crafted mental arguments. Those may work in a court of law, but in the courtroom of the Queen of Hearts, the pain you hide from behind those arguments will ultimately be exposed.
Please don’t think that my unconditional love for you gives you permission to deny my unconditional love for myself. I’ve been told to love my neighbor — in this case you — as I love myself. And though it may sound selfish, it’s only by putting the oxygen mask on myself first that I can save both of us.
Please don’t think our challenges are meant to tear us apart, because if they were, we would not have survived as long as we have.
