It’s inevitable—there will be times when you open your mouth and out will pop something you recognize an instant later as something inappropriate.  (“Hmmm – where did that come from, it’s not what I meant to say,” or worse, ”that came out terrible.”)   I recently had lunch with a friend who had just shared how she’s in the Alchohol Anonymous program and as they proceeded to share other wonderful positive steps they’re taking in their life, I raised my water glass to toast them and said, ”I hadn’t known of your achievements beforehand or I could have been toasting you with champagne.”  (Huh?  Did I say that?)

Then there were the two times I asked my dear friend how her parents are, when she had already told me on two separate occasions that her mother had already passed. 

Sometimes we just have foot in mouth disease, no matter how temporary it is, and we have to acknowledge our mistakes aloud.  In the first case I just stammered, “well, maybe I could have toasted you with sparkling cider,” but even that seemed a little awkward.  

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