What Lies Beneath

For much of my life,
I looked at people
through the lens
of what I could see.

Their choices.
Their words.
Their failures.

But over time,
I found myself
listening
to people’s stories—

and slowly
learning
to face
my own.

The more I listened,
the more I noticed
that behavior
often speaks
long before
someone
finds the words.

Sometimes
it’s fear
wrapped up
in anger.

Sometimes
it’s shame
hiding
behind
control.

Sometimes…
it’s what
survival
looks like.

I began wondering
what lies
beneath
it all.

What I was seeing
was often
the middle
of someone’s story—
not the beginning.

So instead of asking,

“What’s wrong
with this person?”

I started asking,

“What happened
to them?”

“What have
they survived?”

“What are
they carrying?”

Understanding someone’s story
doesn’t excuse
the harm they’ve caused.

But sometimes
it changes
the way
we see
each other.

And maybe…

that’s where
healing begins.