Prompt: Write about a conversation that changed you.
All right, the prompt for today, July 21st, 2026, is: Write about a conversation that changed you.
A few years back, I was talking to my sister while I was going through a pretty hard time. It was after a breakup, and I was telling her about how, when my dad had been visiting, I had been treating him really poorly.
She said something that’s always stayed with me. She said, “Because he was safe.”
It was because he was safe. I had been in a situation where I couldn’t express my emotions or allow myself to really be free. So when I was with my dad—someone I felt completely safe with—all of those feelings I’d been pushing down and packing away came out.
That conversation really stuck with me.
Now, especially when I think about my students and their behaviour, I sometimes wonder if they’re acting the way they are because the environment they’re in—my classroom—feels safe to them. I think this applies especially to middle school students. They’re often going through a difficult time, and developmentally, they’re trying to figure out who they are without always knowing how to express what they’re feeling.
I think it’s an interesting perspective: sometimes we hurt the people we love because we feel safest with them. We assume they’ll still be there.
That’s not something to take for granted, though. It’s something to be aware of. When we find ourselves treating the people we love poorly, it’s worth asking why. What’s really underneath that? And then, if we can, making it right.
I also think we can choose to be that safe person for someone else. That’s a really meaningful thing to offer. I’m not saying we should accept abuse, but a little empathy, a little understanding, can go a long way.
Yeah.
I think that’s it.
You can find this prompt and many more at Letters’ Lounge, www.letterslounge.com. Of course, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this prompt or any of the others, so please leave a comment or share a link to your blog or audio journal—whatever it happens to be—and I’ll be sure to check it out.
All right, folks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
This transcript was lightly cleaned up with the help of AI to improve readability while preserving the original voice and intent of the recording.
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