It's all in your tone

This morning I was eating breakfast when my husband, David, came into the kitchen.
He looked around and spied a foiled wrapped package on the kitchen counter and said:

"What is THIS?" (with a sneer in his voice)

Hold that thought and rewind to last night at dinner when we were all eating and the smell of apples and cinnamon began to fill the air. "What smells so good?" my family asked. "I'm baking a coffee cake for tomorrow morning," I answered. They all agreed that they looked forward to the special treat.

So now less than 12 hours later, the self-same coffee cake is being sneered at.

When I questioned his attitude, he replied that he had heard himself say, "What is THIS?" (with hopeful anticipation.)

Notice how the same exact words can evoke such different feelings and responses. It is all in how the words are perceived.

So often it isn't the words we say, but how we say them. Today I will be especially aware of my tone of voice as I communicate with others.

DCB