One of the important ways to establish and maintain a great relationship is the ability to forgive and forget the little things. We are all human so there can be many little things that occur. In reality though, true big issues or problems happen very rarely. The trick is to properly recognize that almost everything is little and respond accordingly. The true BIG thing is the time already invested in the relationship and the many years to come in the relationship that can be empowering and precious. That’s the BIG thing that must be protected and nurtured.

A misunderstanding is a perfect example of a little thing that can often occur in any relationship. If it’s a great relationship already or both parties are working to make it a great relationship, the misunderstanding is quickly recognized as such and then it’s forgiven and forgotten. My family has recently experienced your typical family misunderstanding and some in the family have not yet recognized it for the little thing that it is. It is being pushed forward into the future and allowed to grow and further damage some family relationships. It is very sad and I have been making efforts to help others recognize the need to let it go and move on.

In the past, I probably would have been one of the family members who over-reacted to the misunderstanding and caused more damage. Luckily, I can say that it is the personal development skills that I have been learning recently that have allowed me to respond in a positive and productive way. I realize now that it is so sad to allow a little thing to cause even any damage in a life-long family relationship; let alone, allowing it to continue to live and be pushed forward to cause more damage. I want to recognize all future issues as little things and work to strengthen and maintain all my family relationships. I will be very excited if some of you will join me in this goal. We’ll benefit immensely and so will our families.