Tell Her About It: Avoiding Mount St. Helen's

Two fathers compared notes on their recent loss of temper. One man devotedly and dutifully visited Home Depot to buy an electric chainsaw so he could eliminate branches for a childrens party. He evaluated his options and repeatedly returned to the store because he was missing essential ancillary parts. Finally he began to feel immense pressure when the party started and he hadn't completed his task. Ultimately he yelled at his family when his dog and son approached him while sawing down the branch. The other father was enjoying a family trip to the lake when he learned how difficult it is to back up a small trailer. The trailer zigzagged repeatedly as the father fumed until a teenage employee volunteered to speedily back the trailer up in a straight line. Solutions to avoid exploding? Remember Billy Joel singing "tell her about it"? Tell your spouse your challenges early on in the difficulty. Get vulnerable so you don't explode/erupt. Tell your partner how you're trying to please them but you keep falling and falling. And don't expect perfect results as you seek to help those you love. Frustration happens when you love someone but cant help them effectively. Thankfully your spouse is much more pleased with your efforts than your results.