The other day, I was reminded of the importance of loving, honoring and respecting the people with whom we are “doing life together”. Too often, we take for granted the relationships that should be most important to us. Our words and actions, and at times our silence and in-action, do not always communicate love, honor and respect.

Due to some posts from friends via social media, I found myself asking some questions:

1. Do we love, honor and respect our loved ones through our actions on social media? Do our posts, comments, and things we share demonstrate that we are fully committed to those we would say we are committed to? For example, a “friend” constantly posts pictures of scantily clad women. It would be bad enough if the gentleman was single. However, he is married. So, is he really loving, honoring, and respecting his wife when he posts these pictures? Sure, maybe his wife is “cool” with it…but???

2. Do we love, honor and respect our loved ones in the workplace? The other day, I read a post where a “friend” was referring to her “work husband”. I don’t know about you, but when I hear terms like “work spouse”, I imagine flirtatious relationships where certain ethical lines are crossed. Sure, maybe physical boundaries are not crossed. But, what about intimate emotional connections? Are we “working” in ways that protect our relationships?

3. Do we love, honor and respect our children on social media? How many times have you read posts where people are moaning and groaning about their children? I have a “friend” who is constantly posting about how much of a challenge her oldest child is. The words are not kind. And I understand the need to vent…but is facebook the most appropriate venue? Or how about those pictures of our children that we post that aren’t exactly flattering? And, for crying out loud, this may offend some of you…but, nude/topless pictures of your kids, even if only shared with your friends??? I know I violated this one when my kids were babies (I mean, they were babies, so it’s cute, right?). Let me just be straight-forward, there are creepers on your friends list…you are friends with some sick, dirty bastards. You may not know it, but you are. And there are creepers who know how to get around your privacy settings. So, think twice, three times if necessary before posting pictures. Sure, our children may not be on facebook or twitter…yet.

So, if you are in any kind of committed relationship, think about your actions and words. Are we loving, honoring, and respecting our spouses at home, at work, online, in their presence and in their absence?