A Kiss from Rose | Let’s Pull These Mirrors Out: Disrespect & Disregard Edition

Let’s pull these mirrors out.

Not tomorrow.

Not next week.

Right now.

Because today’s conversation is about something that destroys relationships, friendships, marriages, families, organizations, churches, and opportunities every single day.

Disrespect.

And its quiet cousin…

Disregard.

Most people recognize loud disrespect.

The yelling.

The cursing.

The insults.

The humiliation.

The public embarrassment.

The rolling of eyes.

The talking over people.

The aggressive tone.

The dismissive comments.

The obvious hostility.

That kind of disrespect is easy to identify.

Everyone sees it.

Everyone talks about it.

Everyone acknowledges it.

But the subtle disrespect?

The quiet disrespect?

The disguised disrespect?

That one is harder.

And often more damaging.

Because it hides behind excuses.

It hides behind personalities.

It hides behind busyness.

It hides behind convenience.

It hides behind “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Let’s go deeper.

Disrespect is not always what you say.

Sometimes it’s what you consistently fail to do.

Sometimes disrespect sounds like silence.

Sometimes it sounds like absence.

Sometimes it sounds like neglect.

Sometimes it sounds like “I forgot.”

Sometimes it sounds like “I didn’t think about it.”

Sometimes it sounds like “I assumed you would understand.”

But let’s pull the mirror closer.

How many times has someone communicated that something mattered to them…

And you treated it as optional?

How many times has someone expressed a need…

And you ignored it?

How many times has someone supported you…

And you failed to acknowledge them?

How many times have you expected consideration…

While giving very little?

Because disregard often begins where consideration ends.

Disregard says:

“I know it matters to you, but it doesn’t matter enough to me.”

That stings.

Not because of what was done.

But because of what it communicates.

It communicates value.

Or the lack thereof.

Let’s talk about subtle disrespect.

Not returning calls when you clearly have time.

Ignoring messages while remaining active elsewhere.

Repeatedly showing up late.

Never acknowledging someone’s efforts.

Always taking and rarely giving.

Making decisions that affect others without considering them.

Failing to communicate.

Failing to follow through.

Constantly making someone an afterthought.

Those things may seem small.

But small things repeated become patterns.

And patterns become perceptions.

And perceptions become wounds.

Now let’s talk about blatant disrespect.

Mocking people.

Belittling people.

Embarrassing people.

Talking down to people.

Using people.

Manipulating people.

Speaking harshly to people.

Treating people as if they are beneath you.

Disrespecting boundaries.

Disrespecting commitments.

Disrespecting trust.

That kind of disrespect leaves visible damage.

But make no mistake.

Subtle disrespect leaves scars too.

The difference is that one breaks loudly.

The other breaks slowly.

And what does God think about it?

God is deeply concerned with how we treat people.

Not just in public.

In private.

Not just when we’re happy.

When we’re frustrated.

Not just when they deserve it.

When they don’t.

Because character is revealed in treatment.

📖 Philippians 2:3

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

In other words:

Value people.

Consider people.

Respect people.

Acknowledge people.

Because you cannot claim to love people while consistently disregarding them.

And you cannot claim to honor people while consistently disrespecting them.

The truth is this:

Most people don’t leave because of one major event.

They leave because of accumulated moments of disrespect and disregard.

The ignored conversations.

The broken promises.

The lack of consideration.

The repeated dismissals.

The feeling that they don’t matter.

And by the time they finally say something…

The damage has often been growing for years.

💌 Grandma’s Corner

Before asking who disrespected you…

Pull out the mirror.

Before focusing on who disregarded your feelings…

Pull out the mirror.

Because sometimes the lesson isn’t in what was done to us.

It’s in recognizing what we may be doing to others.

And the most powerful words a person can say are:

“I didn’t realize I was doing that.”

Because awareness is where growth begins.

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