I could hear care under the awkwardness this time

Dear Delyara, A parent said something in a way that would once have irritated me almost instantly. This time I heard the care first. It didn’t become perfect because of that. But it became more complete. I could hear the worry under the clumsy delivery, the effort under the form I don’t naturally rest under, the care hidden in a language that still isn’t my favorite. That felt like growth in me. Not denial. Not revision. Just wider hearing. And wider hearing gave me more peace than defensiveness would have.