Breaking Points

There's an expression that's used in many memes that basically says the following (paraphrasing): Don't be scared of when a woman yells at you when she's mad.  Be scared when she's stopped yelling because that means she's stopped caring.

I believe this applies to both genders, to some degree.  Some people have higher tolerances for drama than others.  Some people have more compassionate hearts than others.  Some people are just suckers for second and third and seventeenth chances.  Realistically, some people suffer from all three of these conditions and more.  Always, though, always, there is a breaking point. A point at which you've finally realized that the second and third and twenty seventh chances aren't worth it anymore because they're not changing...A point at which you realize that the blood, sweat and tears are only on your end.....A point at which you realize that you can't invest any more of your energy trying to please someone that could care less about pleasing you.  THAT is your breaking point.

Sadly, it can produce a few reactions.  For some, it produces anger that helps people to cope with their sadness and loss of someone they care about.  For others, it produces resolve that helps them to plan and move forward, focusing all of their attention on how they will get through this.  For people like me, it just bubbles up sadness.  It's not depression.  It's pure sadness but sadness for the other person's heart and what they're missing out on.  That may sound conceited but it's not.  I know how much I give to those I love and once that love is gone, it breaks my heart to know that they'll no longer have that love or support from me again.

The point of all of this is the following: Evaluate  how you treat the people you claim that you love.  If you are ignoring them, yelling at them, belittling them, or any other mistreatment, understand that there will be a breaking point.  You will lose what you love and it'll happen in the blink of an eye.  Apologies are just words unless you prove them.  Don't let your life become a series of recovering from other people's breaking points....treat people with the appreciation, love, and respect they deserve or someone else will.