The Missing Conversation | Grace & Guidance
Now, there are some things we were taught growing up that I still appreciate to this very day.
How to carry ourselves like ladies. How to respect our elders. How to set a beautiful table, even if we were serving fried chicken and potato salad.
And heaven forbid company came over and you didn’t speak!
But when it came to love, intimacy, emotional needs, and relationships?
Well, honey, some of those conversations were missing a few chapters.
And a few of us didn’t even get the introduction!
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve reached a season in life where I believe we ought to be able to talk about certain things without everybody clutching their pearls.
And if you’re wearing pearls today, that’s perfectly fine. Just don’t clutch them too tightly, because we’ve got some things to discuss!
We Learned How to Be Ladies… But What About Love?
Many of us grew up hearing:
“Be a good woman.”
“Respect your husband.”
“Keep your family together.”
And my personal favorite: “Baby, just pray about it.”
Now, don’t misunderstand me. I believe in prayer. But I also believe in wisdom, understanding, and asking questions before making decisions that can change your life.
Because you can love the Lord, serve faithfully in church, coordinate the perfect outfit, and carry a fabulous handbag…
And still have questions about relationships!
We learned how to set a beautiful table.
But did anybody teach us how to recognize who deserved a seat at it?
Hmm. Now that’s a conversation!
Honey, Experience Will Teach You… But Sometimes the Tuition Is Expensive!
Here’s something I’ve discovered.
Some of the most valuable lessons we learn about love and relationships come from experiences we never expected to have.
And Lord, sometimes that tuition is expensive!
But I don’t believe every difficult experience has to become a regret.
Sometimes those experiences become the very wisdom we need for the next season of our lives.
And perhaps even more importantly, wisdom we can share with the next generation.
After all, just because we had to learn something the hard way doesn’t mean our daughters and granddaughters should have to do the same.
Now, Auntie… Let Me Ask You Something
What’s one thing you wish somebody had told you about love or relationships before you had to figure it out for yourself?
Was it something about commitment?
Emotional needs?
Or perhaps something you were taught growing up that you see a little differently today?
Now, don’t answer too quickly.
Because sometimes the conversations we’ve avoided are the very ones we need to have.
And that’s why I created The Missing Conversation.
Not to judge anybody’s choices or pretend I’ve got all the answers.
But to create a place where we can explore faith, relationships, intimacy, commitment, and those life lessons nobody quite prepared us for.
And honey, we’ve got some talking to do!
Before You Leave This Porch…
If something you’ve read made you smile, think, or say, “Now, Monica, you’re getting a little too close to my business,” then I hope you’ll stay connected.
I’m inviting you to join my Grace & Guidance email community, where we’ll continue some of these conversations, explore questions worth asking, and share a little Southern wisdom along the way.
And every now and then, we’ll peek into the Shacker Family’s business, too.
Lord knows that family has enough relationship complications to keep us talking for quite a while!
Join the Grace & Guidance email community below, and don’t miss our next conversation.
Because honey, we’ve only pulled out the chairs. We haven’t even gotten into the good stuff yet!
With grace and guidance,
Monica Martin Fletcher
Author | Mentor | Storyteller