You Won’t Know If You Won’t Mention It
With expected high heating costs this winter I decided to invest in some insulated drapes for the large picture window in our dining/computer room. Not being a domestic design type woman, we’ve had the same valance-type curtains since we moved into this home 11 years ago. In fact, the curtains came with the house!
Our house is a raised ranch style so privacy was never a concern because this room is well above ground level and we aren’t prancing-around-in-our-underwear type people.
Over the course of several days, I sewed curtains (I couldn’t believe how expensive store bought curtains are!) for the window. It was on the second day, when I was packing my sewing gear up for the day, that my daughter said, “I can’t wait until you get them finished. I hate that people can see inside our house.”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” I asked. “If I had known that it bothered you I would have bought or made something sooner.”
“I didn’t know we could do anything about it,” she replied. “And I didn’t want to just complain.”
While I appreciated her sentiment and her attitude, I reminded her that if she didn’t mention the things that didn’t work for her, then we wouldn’t even have the opportunity to try to fix them.
Like I wrote earlier, I’m not a domestic design type person. I don’t dress up our home and change the decor. It doesn’t interest me and I have what I consider to be better uses for the money.
But at the same time, if I’d known that the bare windows made my daughter uncomfortable, I would have shopped for or sewn curtains that would make her feel safer and more comfortable in her home.
Are there things in your life that make you feel uncomfortable? Things that you don’t think have easy solutions? Things you don’t want to start whining or complaining about?
If there are, I encourage you to mention them to someone. You don’t have to whine and complain as you talk about it. Instead focus on what you don’t like and state that you are looking for a solution. Then ask if the person has any suggestions.
You’d be amazed at how many people have simple solutions to what you may think are the biggest problems. If they don’t have a solution they may know someone that can help you. Or they may have ideas on how to help you accept and cope with the issue.
But you won’t know if there is a solution if you won’t mention that there is a problem.
