I still expect to be misunderstood before I’ve spoken

Dear Delyara, That expectation enters the room before I do sometimes. I soften the sentence before saying it. Prepare for the look. Assume I may need to explain further. Assume I may need to defend the feeling. Assume that the first version of my truth won’t fully land unless I make it easier for the other person to hold. I know this pattern comes from somewhere older than the current conversation. That doesn’t make it easier to stop. Old wounds don’t only create fear. They create choreography.