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Why it Matters.

Communication is like the Roman empire during its golden age because it’s so powerful that it can even move mountains! For me, being able to get my message across is what can either make or break a relationship. In my moments of glory, I communicate effectively and I find myself in a stable place with friends, family, along with my beloved boyfriend. There are also dark times where I’m not the best at communicating with people who matter to me; that nearly destroyed some of my relationships in the past. Communication works both ways: it’s the foundation that builds a strong and healthy relationship but a lack of it can also be the main reason behind a dysfunctional relationship.

Words matter and communicating the right way helps me establish all of my relationships. It’s one of the reasons why I’m close to my friends and family. We’re honest with each other and we choose our words wisely. By doing that we talk about our troubles rather than ignoring them. Sometimes it’s simple to solve our problems. All it takes is a sincere apology, “I’m sorry,” Other times it’s more complicated but as long as we’re able to say what we mean, then it should benefit both parties in any relationship. Not only does communication offer me benefits with friends and family but it also helps me speak with my boss, co-workers, contacts from different academic programs, and even whenever I have to approach a stranger.

Without communication skills it’s a different story… As a younger and rebellious teenager my diction was poisonous. My choice of words were the venom that drips out of a snake's fang. I was cruel to my mother, and I would blame her because it was easier to point fingers rather than to accept that I should’ve taken the blame too. It wasn’t entirely her fault on why we couldn’t be a happy family, it was also mine. It made our home a place where misery lives and even though I lived there it never felt like home. Our communication skills were both at a bottom low and when we weren’t fighting the room was filled with silence. What’s worse than hours of arguing and fighting is silence. Soon our ‘home’ became a dry and bitter cold atmosphere.

Mother and daughter nearly ruined their relationship. Eventually I sought help and advice from my counselor at Calexico High School. Speaking up about it to others was a lot more useful than bottling up my emotions. My counselor helped me learn how to communicate more with my mom. The most optimistic part of mistakes is that we can grow from our errors. None of us have to err twice over the same problem. Communication holds a special meaning to me and our words should always be used to reunite a group of people rather than to drift them apart.

~Yours Truly,