My niece, A, turns 16 in two days. I can't help but tear up at the thought. I was lucky enough to live with my sister when she was born and be close the first two years of her life. That seems to have created a bond between us, one that cannot be broken even with sixteen years and 3,000 miles between us. She lives far from me, but we still talk frequently and I frequently lecture her. At 32 I am not an expert on life, but I can see past those teenage problems she is face-to-face with. After I lecture her, I inevitably feel bad for giving her such a hard time and then I remember I love her.
I have to come to realize that love is the author of correction. So often in our lives we fail to say to others what they are doing wrong because we don't want to criticize them or hurt their feelings. The truth is if you love them you will tell them because you want them to be better. You love them enough to know what they are capable of so you tell them. If you didn't love them you wouldn't care and you would let them go on their merry way, screwing up their life.
So I encourage you to pause and reflect; when your significant other, your parent, your sibling, or your friend, gives you criticism, remember, they must really love you and want you to be the best you can be.
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