Deposit Please

I read a book several years ago that talked about making a deposit or withdraw from someones "love tank". The idea is when you do or say something nice you're making a deposit, when you do or say something not nice you make a withdraw.

Most people in my life poke fun at me. I'm a pretty sarcastic person so I think this gives the impression I can handle all sarcasm all the time. I'd like to think I can handle it, but I have to admit not all the time.

I think we get so caught up in doing what we've always done, treating people in ways they let us treat them, that we lose sight of value. Sarcasm is void of value, it just is. When you're busy making fun of someone you're not saying things like I'm proud of you, I admire you, I respect you, I learn from you. When you're blowing off something that's said through a sarcastic comment you're saying what you just said isn't going to impact me. Sarcasm is an ugly wall we hide behind way to much.

Sometimes I go into hiding from most of the world because honestly, I can't handle the poking fun, the sarcasm, the comments. I hide because it's better than saying "for just once will you act like you value me, act like your mature, act like we're not 12". I hide because my love tank is empty and if you keep making withdraws someone is going to get hurt.

Next time you want to poke fun at someone, next time you want to brush off words with your own words, next time you're tempted to be sarcastic I challenge you to stop and ask yourself when's the last time you said something nice to that person, when's the last time you built them up with encouragement and love? Get out from behind that wall of sarcasm and actually engage in the moment...make a deposit that's larger than your withdraws please.