Why Connection and Expression Looks and Feels Different To Everyone
A key reminder for all kinds of relationships.
Being human means to be a part of shared experiences throughout our lives.
We make sense of our lives, both through who we are when we’re alone, and who we are to others we share relationships with.
However, sharing those moments and experiences doesn’t guarantee one thing:
That we all perceive and respond to it the same way.
We can feel the same feelings, but have different ways to show them;
We can want the same things as others, but choose to go after them in different ways;
We can have the right intentions, but still end up hurting each other;
We can equally respect the bond we share with others, while still having different ways to build and nurture it.
Our expectations are rooted in how we experience situations, how we treat others, what we are willing to do for them, and how we respond to their actions;
And that, as matter of factly as possible, is all about us — which is just one part of a bigger whole that involves others too.
So if we turn this around to capture their side of the story — what do we get?
We open ourselves to everything that’s not just about us — we free ourselves from “our” side of the story, and become more accepting of theirs;
Because that’s when we realize that it doesn’t start with us, and neither does it end with us.
Just because something wasn’t expressed back to us the way we expressed it in the first place, doesn’t make it any less special or valuable.
So something that someone does might not feel as important to us (because we would have done it differently) — but it could mean the world to that person to have done it;
To them, that is how they show their feelings — good, bad, and everything in between.
The least we can do is acknowledge them, and understand the privilege of being chosen to have moments, feelings, and experiences shared with.
Every relationship offers us two ways to experience it;
One through the lens of our heart and soul, and second, through that of others;
There’s value and meaning in both.
We can all be a part of the same, yet be filled with differences — all we need to do is remind ourselves to respect even when we don’t relate.
Connection, bonding, and expression of emotions look different for everyone, is felt differently by everyone, and most importantly, is returned differently too.
