Mama said there'd be days like this ...

When we were in 8th grade my dear friend Bridget and her friend Sabrina kept a notebook that they used to pass notes back and worth. They were much better writers than the rest of us, and so they wrote each other long notes during class and then passed the book to the next person and back and forth throughout the week. Not a good idea to put your gossip on paper.

And it really wasn't. If I remember correctly, Jennifer Gregorio found the notebook and read horrible things that were written about her in it. I wasn't really involved, but I do remember two swarms of yelling pre-teens next to 8th grade park at lunch one day.

Over the years Bridget has mentioned that moment and the horror that surmounted. I don't think the pit in her stomach ever really healed.

Not fun.

I had several of my own similar experiences. Barf. I can't even go there.

And remember 3-way calling and mean girls? What a horrible combination. What a nightmare for a normal girl just trying to learn about life and friends and boys.

My mom used to say that I would be so happy if I could be known among my friend as the girl who never says anything bad about anyone. That was amazing advice. I still really want to be that girl.

But it is hard. It is easy to let things slip. It is easy to just talk for the sake of humor without considering the aftermath or how it might feel to be on the other end of the story.

At least when Jesus talked bad about people, he knew to speak in parables ... no names, no relationships, just hypotheticals. Smart guy.

The "pocket dial" has create yet a new disastrous check on opening your big fat mouth. My friend's husband fired a guy at work and then pocket dialed him the next day while he told the other workers all the crappy things about the former employee. Oops.

And today I was dealing with something only slightly annoying but totally hurt people's feeling when I pocket dialed while telling my dramatic tale.

Just be nice, and no one (including yourself) gets hurt! I swear this is the message my mother has been trying to teach me for 20 years. When will it sink in?

But I learned a lot to day from the girl I pocket dialed. In junior high, it was the end of the world if you made a mistake because no one ever forgave you or let you live it down. But today my friend was so loving about my error and my mouth and my pain. She made it about me and seemed to really want to know if I was ok and if there was anything she could fix.

Now that is an angel. An angel who listened to her mama.