Walking in a minefield

There is another word it would be a good idea to remove from our vocabulary, and that is the word reproach. There is too much of it in the world.

When a couple break up, they reproach each other. Reproaching is living in the past. It is recording the history of what a once-loved one did or didn't do, said or didn't say.

It seems we reproach people for being what they always were and we didn't notice until some time later.

Reproach means blame.

Middle English reproche, from Anglo-French, from reprocher to reproach, from Vulgar Latin *repropiare to bring close, show, from Latin re- + prope near 

Sometimes reproaches are subtle, hints of reproach. They may not have been meant to be reproaches whatsoever. For example: "I loved it when you used to take me dancing." "I wish you would take me dancing." "I would like to have the old days back."

The more subtle reproaches may have been meant to express love and kindness, yet they didn't  come off that way.  Wishing to have those days back -- in retrospect, I can see how such a remark can be taken as a reproach.

Oh, we have to be so careful what we say. Sometimes communicating is like walking in a minefield.