Misunderstanding.

It happens even if you’ve tried to be clear. If you’ve tried to be kind. If you’ve tried to be honest. And if you’re happy to acknowledge that you never manage to do all of that perfectly.

But it won’t change the fact that we will all be misquoted, misconstrued and misunderstood.

And it can be hard to take, especially if someone you like is unnecessarily upset.

First thing to realise is that we might sometimes do, we probably do, the same thing to others on occasion. And if we’re upset by being misunderstood, it’s probably better to wait, listen and reflect before reacting.

And though it is often good to try to talk things through, that won’t always work. It won’t always solve the problem.

Sometimes we have to live with being misunderstood, make sure we don’t pour the salt of self pity on our own wounds…and then simply let that water pass by under the bridge.

Time, as they say, is the great healer. And in the meantime, breathe.