I received a birthday card not too long ago that had a drawing of a couple on it, sitting together, and the man was handing the woman a flower. And on the front of the card it said,” Sometimes words are not enough.”
The card was given to me by a cousin who is very funny and on the inside of the card she wrote, “So why bother talking at all?”
And if you’re like most people, when there is silence in a conversation or a lull, it can feel uncomfortable and sometimes we break that discomfort, or that silence, or our own sort of anxiety around that, by saying something and putting something into that void, but it’s possible that at those moments, the other person just needs a little time to think and reflect, or perhaps to use that silence in any way that they want.
The next time you’re in a situation where there’s a sigh, or a space that seems awkward, try just staying with that silence and not saying anything.
Sometimes, the silence says more than any words can.