I used to think the goal was simple. Don’t get angry. Image Credit: Gemini Stay calm. Be composed. Handle things better. But that’s not how it works. At least… not for me. There are days when things pile up. Work doesn’t slow down. Messages keep coming. Something is always pending. And by the time I’m done with all of that, I don’t really feel “done.” Just… drained. Then something small happens at home. A kid throws a tantrum. Doesn’t listen. Repeats the same thing again. And

The other day, something small happened. My child was trying to do something simple. It was taking time. Not wrong. Just slow. I was watching. And I remember feeling this slight impatience building up. Nothing big. Just… a nudge. So I stepped in. “Let me do it— it’ll be faster.” I said it casually. Finished it. Moved on. But later, it stayed. Not the act itself. Just… how quickly I took over. I’ve probably done this many times. I just don’t notice it in the moment. Because it

It doesn’t happen in one moment. There’s no big argument. No dramatic event. Just small things. Repeated. A preference dismissed. A habit questioned. A way of doing things corrected. “Why do you do it like this?” “Do it this way, it’s better.” “You should change this.” It sounds normal. Sometimes even caring. But over time, something starts to shift. The person doesn’t argue. They adjust. A little here. A little there. Until one day, they stop being fully themselves around yo