I’m sorry. I hear you.

I’m sorry. I hear you.

The child whose day it is to empty the dishwasher did so before going to school today.

Hooray.

(It doesn’t always happen.)

And I decide, before I disappear into ROTB work—in the spirit of everyone putting in a little extra effort—to load the contents of the very crowded sink into the machine and start it.

I leave the knives and wooden cutting board that need to be hand washed.

Maybe I’ll do those at lunch time.
Maybe Jane will see the effort the kids and I put in and she’ll do them.

—

I’m answering emails in my basement office when I hear Jane from upstairs, “You don’t need to defend yourself, but I know I’ve repeatedly asked you and the kids to get the food scraps out of the bottom of the sink. It’s disgusting.”

I want to say, “Do I not get credit for clearing out the sink?”

But I don’t.

Jane continues from the kitchen, “All you need to do is say, ‘I hear you.’”

I swallow and do my best to say, “I hear you, Jane,” without any snotty tone.

—

It’s easy to defend ourselves.
Far easier.
But that doesn’t always mean it’s the right thing to do.

—

Let’s all try this week to not always defend ourselves, depending on the situation. It gives other people dignity. Sometimes “I hear you” is enough.