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At some point in our lives, we are Marites. Marites is short for "Mare, ano ang latest?". The word is used to describe a person who keeps on talking about someone else's life.

Just like a thief who is angry to his fellow thief, a marites is also angry or pissed off to her fellow marites.

It is true. We all have the time in our lives, a time in our day or week that we have talked about other people's whereabouts. We talked about people who are not around or the people whom we don't like. We usually share stories with our pals that share the same opinion with us. We have this circle of friends who we can be with everyday. These are the people whom we share lunch with. These are our buddies or maybe a roommate. A family member could also be our partner in gossips.

The truth is we are all guilty of talking about other people or their businesses. There are times when we would add new details to the original issue so they would look bad in the eyes of many. Some people would also recruit other people to hate their own enemies. They would spread lies and gossips.

But when these very people will be the topic of the gossips, they easily get annoyed. A storymaker doesn't like to be a main character of a story especially when it's purpose is to ruin her personality.

What good can we get if we talk about other people's lives and meddle with their affairs? Well, it can't be avoided because no matter how much we try to mind our own business, when we are with friends or even family, we would definitely have someones to share about what they see in their environment. For example, when someone from your place come home from a foreign country with a foreign husband tagging along with her. And a mother saw it. The mother would definitely tell her husband about what she saw. They will talk about it over dinner or before bed time. Thr mother now becomes a Marites, a chismosa. But very harmless as she had only relayed what she saw in her naked eyes. She also didn't badmouthed the woman.

In another story, if three mothers only stay in one place the whole day, sitting and tackling about details and blemishes of other's lives. Adding lies and making other stories just so the main character in their story becomes bad in the eyes of everybody. That is when being a Marites is harmless.

What I am trying to point out is that we are all sinners and imperfect. As much as we want to stay away from trouble and live a stress-free life, we can't help but talk about other people's whereabouts. The thing is we should start setting limits. It is okay to talk about them as long as you are not badmouthing them to other people. It is okay to talk about them as long as what you say is not below the belt and not something that could ruin their reputation.

We need to set limits and strictly follow them so we could avoid trouble. Because when a Marites talks about her fellow Marites with her friends, trouble will be expected. As early as ten years old, I can see a lot of women in our neighboorhood who are fond of talking about people's lives and badmouthing them and I can't stand doing the same as them or letting my niece or future children to witness them in her environment.

Let us create a friendly environment for us and for the children. Let us be role models and fix things in private. We should try to address every possible problem that we can face and try to avoid those who can be avoided. The world will be too chaotic if we adapt the old ways of trash-,talking in the middle of the street. Let us fix everything in private and professionally. We may have troubles and challenges and difficult situations but let us manage them with fashion.

Grace Under Pressure. Let us not allow our emotions to overwhelm and rule us. Let us be smart in handling things. Leaving them where they are at. Minding our affairs as much as possible and looking at the good of others.

I don't know if I make sense. But know that you are a Marites too and set your limit. Relationship over gossips.

Thanks for reading.

Until then.

Happy Friday!