Emotional Maturity

That term has been spoken more and more today. Emotional maturity means capacity to understand and manage your own emotions while remaining aware of how your behavior affects others. How many of us were taught this? How many of us had to learn this? When I was growing up emotions were not something we discussed, felt or expressed. Emotions were seen as a weakness.

Today emotions are felt, expressed and considered normal, but yet emotional maturity is still absent. Where do we learn it? How do we learn it? Those are questions I have asked myself. The one place were I learned emotional maturity was in my dealings with my adult children. When they were young I was emotionally immature. I didn’t consider others feelings. I did not watch my words. I didn’t care to change.

However,  I had to change to have the relationships they and I needed. I had to become emotionally mature. It was not easy, but necessary. Still today I have to check my emotions. I have to be considerate in how I address situations. I have to be emotionally mature, not just for them but for myself.