We all have tiffs at some time or another with family, friends, or our significant other. But are all of these issues really significant?
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Having problems with your boyfriend or girlfriend, fiancé, or spouse? Have you ever openly talked about the differences that might cause rifts in your relationship?
Once upon a time, Lola B. Walters decided to have a serious talk with her husband when she felt that their relationship was in danger. In her article “The Grapefruit Syndrome,” she says that she and her husband decided to have an open discussion about each other’s mannerisms, habits, and annoyances.
Sister Walters started the discussion off, and the first thing she shared with her husband could be summarized into one word: grapefruit. She didn’t like the way he would peel grapefruit and eat it like an orange. Then she also mentioned similar complaints.
When it was her husband’s turn to share his thoughts about her, “he gathered his brows together in a thoughtful, puzzled frown and then looked at [her] with his large blue-gray eyes.” Finally he said, “Well, to tell the truth, I can’t think of anything I don’t like about you, Honey.” Sister Walters quickly turned away, not knowing how to explain the tears that ran down her cheeks.
She had found so many trivial problems to address over the years, but she had never stopped to ask herself if those problems were truly significant. If this ever happens to you, ask yourself if you’re suffering from the Grapefruit Syndrome.
Read the complete article in the Ensign or the Liahona.
—Joshua Mitchell, Mormon Insights
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Find more insights
Take a look at the article “Faith, Hope, and Relationships” by Elder Michael T. Ringwood to learn how desire, belief, and hope can help our dating relationships develop into marriage relationships.
Read or listen to “Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships” by President Ezra Taft Benson to find ways to cultivate lasting family happiness.