Contempt

I'll never forget the moment someone I loved expressed complete contempt towards me. Our relationship had been on a downward spiral for quite sometime, only I was too naive to see it. In fact, I thought the fighting was normal. I had stormed off one night after a big fight and came back to our apartment many hours later. He had nothing to say to me and when I asked him if he wanted to know where I had been, he looked me in the eye and said point blank that he did not care where I had been. It wasn't so much the words, but the tone that killed me. None of the yelling, insults or cold shoulders even came close to the contempt in his face, eyes and body. In that moment I knew that our relationship was over. Two weeks later it was official.

I don't drudge up my past all the time like I used to. There's not much point. But sometimes it's moments like these that pop up to remind me of how to treat others. My words can hurt. I know my tone hurts even more. I know the power I have to crush his spirit with my sharp tongue. Luckily, I also know what if feels like to be on the receiving end and I'm grateful that my experience helps keep me in check (most of the time).