Everyone has their own opinions. Many opinions demand respect.

Three years ago, I was living with my dad, stepmom, and step-siblings. The step-siblings were younger than I was and always made a mess; this was my fault, at least that’s what stepmom said. When I would try to tell her how it couldn’t have been me, she would start lecturing me on respect, claiming that I didn’t respect her because I wouldn’t take the blame. She didn’t have enough respect to listen to what I had to say.

Mutual respect is a fantasy thing. No two people will ever share the same respect for each other; if they say they do, they’re lying. 

We’ve all been in the situation of playing fake nice: a mandatory thing for work, school, or family. If you didn’t, then you’d never get anywhere in life. They call being fake-nice respectful when it is the most disrespectful thing a person can do. Showing your real emotions is showing respect. 

Why do people think that when I speak my mind, it’s disrespectful? I am a very outspoken person who isn’t scared to share my opinions and feelings. People hate me. I am respectful when I show how I feel and express my feelings toward things. The issue is when it’s a sensitive topic. Sensitive topics need to be handled with care, but people usually neglect them.

Neglecting our emotions causes issues within our daily lives, so don’t feel bad confronting something that needs to be confronted. Learning to be brave with confrontation is very important. 

I ended up confronting my family; I was tired of the disrespect, so I gathered them at the dinner table and let all my feelings out. This was a breakthrough for me and my confrontation issue. I may have burned some bridges, but I saved my mental health. My stepmom stopped blaming things on me, and my step-siblings apologized.

Embrace your feelings and emotions. Show those people your teeth and be brave.