Some words, when left unspoken, become distance

Some silences protect us; others slowly begin to build distance. It does not happen all at once. At first, it simply seems like the wrong time: we are tired, we have other things to do, or we are afraid we will not find the right words. So we postpone the conversation. Then what we wanted to say loses its original shape and becomes tangled with interpretations, expectations, and the small disappointments that have accumulated in the meantime.

In relationships, it is not only the wrong words that pull us apart. Sometimes what separates us is what never had the chance to be spoken: fear hidden behind criticism, a need for closeness…