A friend was telling me about the mediation training she attended.  My interest was piqued as she articulated the steps that lead away from feuds and toward shared solutions.

Conflict seems to be an inevitable aspect of communal living, and most of us fumble to get along. Disagreements can be anywhere on a spectrum from mild irritation over where you parked to high pitched screaming fits about an overdrawn account. 

In marriage there can be an unspoken expectation that these skirmishes remain private. But if neither of you ever actually practiced good listening, or feedback, or non anxious presence, it can be like spinning your tires in an ever deepening ditch. No one gets out without mud on your shirt. 

I am thinking of taking the training. Seriously. Maybe we would be able to keep a few people out of the ditch.