Resentment and avoiding difficult conversations

[goodcatholic]

Are there any friends or family members you feel some resentment towards? And you haven’t expressed it to them? Now I know, the Christian way is to pray for a loving feeling to replace that resentment. And of course wisdom to choose the right course of action. But aren’t some difficult conversations better avoided altogether?
Having said that, I will relate to you a recent experience I had with a family member.Whenever I talk to him on the phone , he dominates and if I try to speak he drowns me out. I’ve let it go many times but finally I decided to tell him I was fed up. I didnt want to hear anymore. Now the way I communicated that is probably the issue here. Because I didn’t beat around the bush. I used very direct language. Part of me is relieved I finally expressed my annoyance but part of me is worried now about the aftermath. Family gossip and so on. “Ron really lost it with me on the phone the other night. You should’ve heard him”. But something about being 60 and not caring anymore what my family members think of me. I don’t want to play the fake/nice manners game anymore with my family.

And this makes me wonder now about my other relationships. The ones I feel resentment towards. Part of me thinks it would be better to "clear the air " with them.

 

[goodcatholic]

My parents , as saintly as they were, must have built up some resentment towards others, including their kids.
Their motto did seem to be “peace at all costs”. We had great family reunions. I know they loved us all. But I cant accept their philosophy myself. I was a rude teenager for instance and needed to be cut down to size by them. Put in my place. As it turned out, my older brothers took over the role of correcting us.