Editing Expression

The way we express ourselves to the people in our lives can differ, depending on our relationship with them and how that relationship has been nurtured since its birth.

I believe our circles are divided into groups of people we feel comfortable saying things to, and those we don't. For instance, telling a person you love them. Whether it be romantic, familial, or friendly, each person expresses themselves differently.

For instance, for me, I have no problem telling the friends that I've had for over 10 years that I love them. We've grown up saying it to each other or grown into it and are comfortable with each other. Though, we aren't like Full House and say it like we're giving out hugs every time someone leaves a room. It comes out in situations when one of us is having a hard time and isn't forced. I guess, in my case, the way I express myself to my friends is not edited.

In terms of family, I didn't grow up in one like the Tanners, who were all about hugging and I-Love-You's. Over the years I've come to realize that the way my dad shows affection for his children is by fixing our cars, buying us medicine when we were sick, and pretending to drop woodticks in our hair. The way my mom expressed her love for me, is through support and endlessly giving us anything we need. (Note: Not anything we wanted-we were not spoiled children)

The way my brothers and I express how much we care about each other is through obvious respect, interest in each others lives, and how close we are. We don't need to tell each other because its very apparent to anyone who knows us just how much we love each other.

It took a long time to figure out why my "love" comfort levels seemed be so unbalanced within different groups of people in my life, but I came to the conclusion that the way we edit how we express ourselves is based on the way we are nurtured by our first, longest, and closest relationships.