A Sinner’s Lent Day 3: Family Strife

I debated the lines of smack talking on Saturday.

There are plenty of people to talk negatively about. Co-workers, old friends, enemies, enemies of friends, friends of friends, enemies of enemies, whatever….I feel like there can always be something negative to say about someone else.

What about talking smack about people you love?

I have a big family. Lots of brothers and sisters.  But we have this crazy dynamic where no one yells at each other. No one really fights.  We’re kind of far apart in age, and we are from different marriages, so maybe that has something to do with it....I love that we don’t fight. When I go to my boyfriend’s house, his siblings will fight like cats and dogs at the dinner table, and I never know what to do – I just don’t like familial conflict (or any conflict, really).

There is, however, a lot of complaining in my family. "Behind the back" talking.  Lots of smack-talking all around.  This brother-in-law dislikes that brother-in-law.  This sister is a bad mother, this sister drinks too much, and this brother needs to divorce his wife, blah blah blah.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about family dynamics playing into this “not talking about others” Lenten promise of mine. Is it bad to talk about others if you are going to love them unconditionally, no matter what you say?  It's still expelling negative energy towards people, regardless of how much I love them.

Perhaps I should take the negativity I spew and try to turn it into a productive suggestions. Perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut. Yeah, maybe I’ll just keep my mouth shut.