-- Garrison Keillor
 
 

Our problems with anger and our problems in relationships go hand in hand.

Some of us have held back our anger, which led to resentment of our loved ones.

Some of us have indulged our anger and become abusive.

Some of us have been so frightened of anger that we closed off the dialogue in our relationships when angry feelings came out. 

Some of us have wasted our energy by focusing anger on people who weren't really important to us.

Do we truly want them to become so important?

Yet, perhaps the important relationships got frozen because we weren't open and respectful with our anger.

It isn't possible to be close to someone without being angry at times.

We let our loved ones be part of our lives by feeling our anger when it is there and expressing it openly, directly, and respectfully to them -- or by hearing them when they are angry.

Then, with dialogue, we can let it go.

The sharp edges of our anger are like pieces of broken glass. We all have things in our lives that anger us -- it is only human to bump into our sharp edges. One edge might be crabby, another silent and withdrawn, and still another yelling and screaming.

The heat of love and compassion can melt our anger. This may take the form of sympathy for ourselves, or for the people we love. More often, it is the compassion of those around us that helps melt our anger. 

Sometimes saying I'm sorry is a good way to melt anger and find the love underneath it.