“Just listen to me!” I shouted at my sister today without realizing the depth of the word listen. In hindsight, I was frustrated as I felt my voice wasn’t being heard, but I too wasn’t listening to my sister. See listening goes  beyond the spoken word. A person speaks just as loud through their actions (arguably louder), as they do their voice. Most of us have heard the cliché “actions speak louder than words” and have probably even said it to someone but most people don’t listen, they only hear.

It’s like that new I Phone commercial with the orchestra playing in the background. All the world around you continues as you make a phone call and with the push of a button, the phone mutes out everything but your conversation.

A few days ago my sister was over and said some very insightful things to me. She said something that stood out the most from our entire conversation when she told me to simply try my best at being the best mother, sister, wife, etc., I could be, and in doing so I would be the best because my best is all I can give. A very simple idea yet so hard to put into play because so many of us get caught up in life and begin to just get by, by doing the minimum. It’s like having a job you really dislike but you need the income so you won’t quit and you’ll do just enough not to get fired…I know because I had one and it’s awful.

So how are these two things related, yelling at my sister and trying to be the best at everything I do, especially my most important roles in life. Simple. They all entail listening. Had I listened today instead of demanding it so loudly, the conversation would have gone very differently. Moving forward I want to be an active listener, more like the I Phone, so as I watch Natey sleep through the baby monitor propped up right next to me, I make a promise to myself and my loved ones, especially my sister, that I too will listen. I love you Bella.