Today communication is a multimillion-dollar business. The advances men have made in the technical field of communication is indeed staggering, to say the least. For example, fiber-optic cables, that can carry tens of thousands of phone conversations at one time. Then there are communication satellites, which relay thousands of pieces of information in seconds.

But in spite of all these means of communication, there is no limit to the misery in the world because of a lack of communication between individuals. Is there any surprise then that we are faced with what has been called a ever growing" generation gap? A lack of communication between parents and their offspring, and sadly between parents themselves. Marriage counselors report that the biggest problem in marriages is a failure of communication between husband and wife. To keep the lines of communication open, it is the obligation of each to listen to what the other is saying, and to notice what has been left unsaid. This can only be done if we give our full attention to the one speaking. Sometimes we are so occupied with formulating what our response will be, that we fail to recognize the emotional content, and the way something is said. As husbands we need to recognize this is a common shortcoming we share. Wives often suffer because husbands fail to listen. However wives for their part also need to listen closely, so as not to jump to wrong conclusions.

As we grow older this places an added burden on our open communication. We face many changes with age. Physical weakness drains our energy and vigor. Every time we pass a mirror we are reminded we are getting older. Sadly our memory is not as sharp as it was. If we are not careful we can easily become depressed. All or any of the above can affect our communication with our loved ones. Realizing this should encourage each one to work that much harder at keeping the lines of communication open, honest and reasonable. The more we fail to communicate the larger our problems seem to get. In five minutes of communicating you can solve more problems then five minutes of avoiding one another. Take the time, and in many cases make the time and master the art of communication.

Remember, good communication is an art. Why not become a good artist?