Filling in the Blanks

When we don’t have the full story, how often do we fill in the blanks?

More to the point, how often are our narratives the furthest things from the truth? Who has ever been on the receiving end of one of these narratives? 🙋🏾‍♀️ This gal, right here.

Sometimes, I am amazed, when I sit down with someone and we begin chatting and I share something and the look on their face… I tend to think, “That? That shocked you? You don’t even know the half!”

I was chatting with a friend a while back and she shared with me that no one knows her whole story. I can relate. But, can we truly know anyone else’s story – fully?

We have no way of knowing what a person has endured in their lives – or the impact it had on them. We have no way of knowing the pain behind smiles, the tears – or the strength gained through such life experiences.

Part of me thinks that it could be a combination of human nature and genuine curiosity that compels individuals to fill in the blanks for those unknown pieces… This prompts me to grant them grace…

But why not just ask?

As a person on the receiving end of this, I find it rather uncomfortable. While I may not be an open book in the sense that, I don’t speak about myself to just anyone or everyone… I also have nothing to hide. I see myself as an, if you have a question, ask, kind of person.

Still, I’m learning to not let the assumptions used to fill in the gaps get to me… Some lessons are just easier/less painful than others…