I often remember moments when I fought not because someone did something terrible, but because we could not explain our feelings. He was silent, I thought it over. I asked — he waved it off. And in this emptiness, tension was born. An ordinary trifle suddenly turned into proof of “you don’t appreciate me” or “you don’t hear me.”

It’s strange, but it’s the people close to you who most often become other people’s translators. You want to say: “I’m having a hard time,” but it sounds like: “you’re to blame.” You want to hear: “I’m with you,” but instead you get a dry “okay.” And that’s it — the heart slams shut.

Maybe we’re afraid of being too vulnerable? We are afraid to admit: “I’m scared”, “I need support”, “I feel lonely”. It’s easier to be offended than to open up. It’s easier to shout than to ask quietly. But it’s in these shouts that the most valuable things break 🌙.

I’m learning not to be afraid to ask questions: “Did you say this because you were tired or because you were disappointed?” I’m learning to say my own: “I’m not angry, I just want to be heard”. And it’s amazing how often quarrels dissolve when an ordinary human explanation appears.

And yet… why do we so rarely choose the path of simple conversation, and so often the path of resentment and conflict? 🤔

Maru