I allowed my thoughts to linger on those words I’d heard so often as a child—what happens in this house stays in this house. The statement had sounded somewhat sinister when I was a kid, but as an adult, I could understand the benign intentions behind it. It was about protecting your family’s reputation. It was about preserving your pride, even in the face of an embarrassing or shameful incident. It was about protecting yourself from dwelling on events that caused you pain. It was about appearing strong, and not allowing anyone to learn your weak spots.
