This past weekend I witnessed a woman being punched, kicked, pulled out of a car and thrown to the ground. The man in the car then sped off, leaving her on the side of the road crying and hurt. I immediately called 911.
Another couple had witnessed these events as well and did the same, which made me feel safer staying there while we waited for the cops.
The woman who had been hit kept blaming herself, apologizing, and putting herself down.
No woman, no person should ever have to feel this way. Nothing that woman could have done would have justified this man’s behavior. It as entirely on his shoulders. And there were witnesses to see it.
The next day I spent some time with family. The day was warm and we were playing out in a field for awhile. I was so thankful for my loving, kind, caring boyfriend and family in this moment. The warm sun and the cool breeze reminded me of how beautiful life is and how thankful I am to be here each day.
I have always been open about my mental health issues, but I think it’s also important to discuss the need in our society to help people deal with anger and frustration in ways that are less harmful and more productive. While many women deal with anger issues and can be abusive, I think it’s especially important that we start teaching our sons, boys, young men and old men how to better handle these emotions.
Photo by Antonino Visalli on Unsplash
I don’t know why or where the idea came from that “men” shouldn’t show emotions or have to be “hard” and “tough”. Sometimes being tough can mean letting out a good cry when you need it. And there is nothing admirable about using violence to let out any type of emotion.
This experience not only made me thankful for the gentle but strong men (and women) in my life, but it also made me want to work as hard as possible to make sure my son grows up knowing how to handle anger, frustration, sadness, and all of his emotions in productive ways that make him a better human being.
Things such as stopping to take a breath, walking away from situations to cool down, and stress management techniques can be extremely important to teach children from a young age. If they develop these habits young, they will carry the strategies into adulthood.
How do you help your children handle their emotions in positive ways?
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