It’s Forbidden

My oldest son used to love the Disney version of the animated "Beauty and the Beast" and had watched it so many times as a four year old that he could quote almost any part of the movie. As a matter of fact, he can quote large portions of almost any movies that he watches! As a college student today – he gets great joy out of quoting Disney movies with the right voices and inflections and everything (it's weird).

There was a time when my son would walk around the house making the umpire's "SAFE" motion with his arms and then say in a really deep four year old voice "It's FOR BENDING". We kept wondering why he was saying that and so we asked him and discovered this:

There is a place in "Beauty and the Beast" that Belle asks the Beast about a certain wing of the castle and he replies that it is the west wing and she want to go there and he shouts "No, it's FORBIDDEN". But the way that he said it, my son thought he was saying, "It's FOR BENDING". We still occasionally tease him a little about that because it was SO cute! He doesn't think that it is so funny anymore but we do!

The funny thing about that is that we sometimes get the wrong story or only part of the story because we are not really listening. It happens to all of us at times but the point is that it makes the other person feel more valued if you are present and attentive in the conversation. Ask questions, respond with clarifying statements and above all – look at them! People want to know that what they are telling you is important to you, too. When you are a good listener – you show people that you care. Jesus said, "People will know you are my disciples if you love one another." There is no better way for people to feel loved than when you are engaged in the story of their life and what is happening in their life at this moment.

Do you care? Then become a good listener. That way you don't go away and think you heard "It's FOR BENDING" when the person said "It's FORBIDDEN".

Here at the Osceola Grace you can find Real People living Real Lives and striving to find Real Answers.