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Talking is easy when we feel comfortable and safe, words flow, sentences come with ease.

There are people we can easily yap around, tell our random thoughts to, share our stories with, and somehow, talking to them never feels like work.

Then there are people we don't share things with. Talking about our feelings feels difficult, and sometimes, we don't even know how to begin.

But maybe instead of asking, "Why doesn't this person talk to me?" we should sometimes ask, "What kind of environment have I created for this person to feel safe enough to talk?"

Because vulnerability isn't something you can demand from people, it is something you create room for.

If every time someone opens up, we judge them, dismiss their feelings, interrupt them, or use what they told us against them later, why would they feel safe enough to come back?

The funny thing is, most times, people don't need you to have the perfect response. They just need to know that their honesty won't change the way you see them.

That friend that's hardcore and never seems to share what's eating him up, can you remember the last time he shared something personal with you? More importantly, how did you make him feel afterwards?

Because intentions are not enough.

Something might not seem that deep to you, but that doesn't mean it wasn't deep for the person experiencing it. You don't get to decide how someone should feel about the way you treated them when they were vulnerable and honest with you.

Dearest reader, may we learn to become safe places for the people in our lives. Places where they can talk without rehearsing their words, share without fear of judgment, and be vulnerable without wondering if they will regret it later. Because sometimes, the question isn't "Why won't they open up?" but "Have I made it safe enough for them to?"

@favvy_Okwans🖤.