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Hello Mi Neighbour | Don’t aggravate your neighbour

Published:Wednesday | November 6, 2019 | 12:00 AM

Hello mi neighbour! “Please don’t aggravate me this morning! Tired of it! The first thing you can find to do every morning is to aggravate me!” Sounds like someone at breaking point? Yes, and not only that, a fight could be on the verge of breaking out! For peace sake, if you are the aggravator, please cease and desist now! Be it a wife, husband, co-worker or neighbour, let good sense prevail.

According to the Webster’s Dictionary, to aggravate means to “make worse, more serious, or more severe”. Used in the context of a relationship, it means to hassle, bother, disturb or upset, etc. While there may be some who deliberately annoy others, there are others who unknowingly aggravate others. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, however, this practice can be very harmful.

As a youngster, I almost lost an eye because of ignorance to what annoyed people. Not knowing the right thing to say to a gentleman who was experiencing severe emotional pain, what came out of my mouth worsened his ordeal and made him so angry that he sailed his shoe past my face. Had it connected, things would have been even worse for him, but thank heavens, in the end, it was all smiles.

Met with a couple some time ago to help resolve a marital issue. Their problem was not in the category of food, clothing or shelter. Neither was it financial or extramarital. It was aggravation. How so? Whenever the husband missed a step (we all do), instead of helping to steady his feet, she knocked him further off balance with condemnation. How uncom-mendable! After a while, the relationship improved, with their decision to manage the flaw together. That works.

So, here’s the question: Should we allow aggravation to worsen our lives or any given situation we encounter? What’s our responsibility when aggravated? First of all, we must be in control and seek to be at peace. If you cannot make peace with others, try to keep your peace.

J. Marie Novak suggests that to stay in control and keeping our peace, we must ask ourselves these questions: Is keeping my peace important to me? Will giving away my peace help? Is keeping my peace right now the right thing to do for me?

If you are like the rest of us, your answer to these questions would be in the affirmative.

It is a well-known fact that holding on to bitterness, disappointment, and pain will only aggravate their impact on our lives and rob us of our peace. It must be noted that maintaining our peace does not mean abandoning all contacts with the neighbour who sparked the aggravation. We can approach them with a ‘cool head and a calm heart’, not allowing them to manipulate our reaction to their misdeeds.

In the final analysis, as you seek to hold on to peace for your dear life, it will empower you to forgive all aggravators and will give you the freedom to release pain and embrace the joy you deserve.

As a word of caution, be easy on yourself as you seek to maintain your peace in aggravating circumstances, as it takes time and practise to master this art. If you trip along the way, be sure to forgive yourself and on keep on trying.

Enjoy!

 

 

THANKS TO NEIGHBOURS

1. Cynthia, St Catherine, for offering bed linen to Junior, a St Mary neighbour.

2. Leon, St Andrew, for offering clothing and household items to needy neighbours.

3. Alex’s Import & Export for donating a bed to Simone, mother of two, St Andrew.

 

 

NEIGHBOURS’ REQUESTS

1. Paulette, St Andrew, needs a mattress.

2. Neighbour, St Catherine, asking for second-hand laptop for her granddaughter who has just started college.

3. Neighbour, asking for two pieces of ply and a bag of cement.

4. Vivid, Manchester, in need of help to purchase material for surgery.

 

To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 334-8165, 884-3866, or deposit to acct # 351 044 276 NCB. Alternatively, send donations to HELLO NEIGHBOUR c/o 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; PayPal/credit card: email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com Mr Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.