"IF WE had an exchange of hearts
Then you'd know why I fell apart
You'd feel the pain when the mem'ries start
If we had an exchange of hearts"
This 1988 hit song of David Slater completely articulates my sentiments on how I have started falling apart with someone really, really close to me. In simple words, maybe it is better if the two of us would consider the feeling of being into one another's shoes.
Sometimes, or should I say most of the times, we misunderstand, or we are misunderstood by another person simply because we are severely encroached on our own thoughts and feelings and we fail to see what's on the other side of the road. This fact is indeed easy to accept as each one of us would normally uphold our own convictions and actions, especially when we know that what we are doing is right and just. More so, like the famous saying goes, we will not give up and will fight until our last breath standing up for what we believe in.
However, as they say, there are always two sides of the story. As much as we are firm and resolved into thinking of our own condemnations, we must also try our best to feel the other person's situation. Well, I know it's pretty hard to do this most of the times, but probably, we should start trying. Stepping into the other person's shoes is simply taking into account the other side of the story, taking in what is reasonable and what is ethical. Or probably, it also means just trying to listen and also respect what the other person has to say about a certain situation.
When we fall out with someone, be it a lover, a friend, or even a family member, perhaps, all we need to do is to stop and try to feel the other person's needs. An open communication line would be an avenue for threshing out the differences, at the very least. But ultimately, being able to resolve the problem and strike a balance between the two opposing sides is the goal in which personal conflicts and disagreements can be disentangled.
At times, some misunderstandings can be solved right away, others will take some time to be worked out. In the latter case, we must put it mind as well that we should accept that things such as forgiveness can't be imposed on someone just like that. I would like to believe that time heals everything. Or better yet, God heals everything. In God's time and grace, I know that all of us can mend broken relationships with people special and dear to us.