Some learnings are like a quick slap in the face. They sting for a brief moment and are strong enough to remember for a while.

I was home from college for a holiday weekend. We were at a family friend’s house and I was telling a story to Marie. The story is irrelevant but it included “my boyfriend”. Whoa!

Marie interrupted to say “He does not belong to you. Never refer to people with ‘MY’, they are not yours to own.” I tried to defend myself saying that I didn’t know if she had met Todd or knew him by name. She pointed out that if I include “Todd” in a story, she can ask for clarification if she hadn’t figured it out in context.

Sticking to this is harder than it sounds, but I try.

Thank you, Marie!