Don't Poke The Bear 7/10/2025

 Good Morning,

I am enjoying a hot cup of Door County White Christmas Coffee on this fine July morning. Why am I drinking Christmas Coffee in July? I do it for two reasons. 1. My wife's favorite television station starts celebrating Christmas in July. So I break out the Christmas coffee just to bug her. 2. I really enjoy the Christmas coffees the vendor makes. 

My wife Rene and I do give each other a ribbing now and then and it is all in good fun. Although we both have some areas in our personalities that don't stand up that well to teasing or joking. There is that invisible threshold that we each have within us that others should not cross. I am not going to share what they are because they are personal and basically you don't need to know what starts our internal bombs to tick. 

                                                       Photo credit. Lauren and Matthew Schutte

I believe I am the worst of us two. I have the temper of two people and have to work hard to keep it under control. If I ask you to go to Starbucks you have pushed my limits and that is a story for another time. 

When you are teased or poked.

So my friends, know your limits and before the bear (You) get poked once too often. Walk away, or speak up nicely and say, I didn't appreciate that. A bear will usually growl before it bites. In addition, learn to laugh at yourself, and don't always take things so seriously. Life is too short to always be growling. 

When you have poked or teased someone too hard. 

Proverbs 17:12 Let a man meet a she bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

If you have gone too far and poked the bear once too often, apologize. A sincere "sorry" goes a long way. But, my goodness, don't make the same mistake twice or more. Once someone is pushed too far, relationships take a long time to repair. 

God Bless,

Marty