We need to communicate with each other. I’m not just referring to talking to others. Listening is more important than just making noise. Listening takes effort. It’s a verb, an action word.

In any relationship there will be conflict. Resolving conflicts can be difficult. You can avoid conflict by sweeping things under the rug, thinking “it’s no big deal.” But that’s a cop out. You might preserve the peace in the short run, but at some point it will resurface. And when it does it is like a bomb going off!

People are living with pain we know nothing about. They keep it inside, suffering in silence. Look for the signs. Be compassionate.

A couple years ago when I was speaking in a women’s prison, one of the inmates opened up about her ex husband and her daughters. She told me both her daughters had committed suicide because their father had sexually molested them. Then she waved her hand and said, “but it’s okay.” I looked her in the eye and said, “No. It’s not okay. Your ex was a sick fuck who robbed your children of their lives.” This poor woman had tears in her eyes, and we connected. I’m glad I was there in that moment.

Be willing to have difficult conversations. They can be uncomfortable. But intimacy grows through the difficult conversations when you are willing…