We have all been hurt before. It's actually safe to say that some of us have been way more hurt than others, but either way, we have all been hurt in some point in our lives -- whether it be a friend, a significant other, a family member, a coworker or someone on the street who said mean comments to you or about you. We, as humans, are sometimes very fragile beings and some things have the ability to wound us even if we act like we're invincible. We sure like to think we're invincible, don't we? We like to act like nothing can ever break us because we're the strongest people on the planet. We don't have feelings, we don't have emotions; we feel nothing except pride and confidence...but that isn't always the case. The truth is, we get hurt more easily than we think we do. But sometimes?
Sometimes, we cause pain.
Maybe you just got offended by reading that, and I understand. We all like to think that we're saints who are incapable of hurting other people, but that's not true. I know a lot of us don't even mean to do it, but that doesn't mean it will never happen because it happens all the time.
Maybe you're reading this and thinking to yourself, "Wow, some people really need to get tough. The human race is getting more and more soft over time. Everything offends everyone, and people need to really get over it," and I understand that too. We all want everyone to have thicker skin, but that's not the case. I know a lot of people who are actually very tough and can take jokes, whether it's simple teasing or a community "roast", who still manage to take things other people say to heart. That's just who we are.
But would it actually kill us if every once in a great while, we don't focus on how people have hurt us? Instead, what if we focus on the people who we've hurt, because every single one of us has hurt somebody else in one way or another whether we want to believe it or not. Words hurt, actions hurt even more. Let's take the time to focus on the people we've wronged and take even more time to apologize. An apology can go a long way; it could even bring closure to people who lay awake at night and wonder what happened between the two of you. Call them up, text them, write them a letter, contact them on social media, arrange for a meeting between the two of you where you can sit face to face and have a real conversation.
We should spend less time worrying about the people who have caused us pain and a little more time thinking about the people who we have caused pain for. Luckily, it's Christmas time. If Christmas is remarkable for one aspect, it's for being the time of the year where we give to others. Perhaps one of the best presents we could give is telling those that we've hurt that we were wrong and we're sorry. It's okay to own up to your mistakes. It's something we all must do.
With that being said, I challenge you to reflect on your past mistakes - and I will do the same - and maybe reach out to those who you've hurt since we have all done it. T'is the season, yes or yes?
