I was on the front porch when one of my teenagers came home from school, riding with three of her school friends. I could read her lips. "There's my dad; what a dork." They all had a good laugh about it. I cried myself to sleep that night.
Even if you say it in fun, just to get a laugh, words can hurt. Stop teasing other people so much. Poking fun at someone is easy. Repairing the damage – even if you recognize it – can be impossible.
Haven't we all had enough of that? We had enough at school, we have enough at work. I hope it never happens in your home.
We can be teased into doing things we don't want to do. We can be insulted and criticized – even in fun – into thinking things about ourselves that simply aren't true, things that will stop us from reaching our potential.
