When you realize you are just a passing figure in someone else’s story, someone’s silence stops being personal and starts being understood.
C.G. Thomas
The last two years completely threw off my normal routine. Between packing boxes, school, carrying the heavy weight of grief, and sitting with depression, my world just looked different.
Because I was stretched so thin, I lost touch with people who mean the world to me. I found myself quietly hoping they wouldn’t take my silence personally. I was just trying to keep my head above water while my life changed—which was ultimately for the better, even if it was hard.
But then it hit me: I wasn’t the only one struggling to keep in touch. My friends were, too. We all were.
There’s a word for this: sonder. It’s that sudden realization that every random person walking by is living a life just as complicated and messy as yours.
Think about a woman standing in a window. You’re walking down the street at night, and you look up to see a stranger looking out from her apartment. To you, she’s just a two-second snapshot before you keep walking. But to her? She might be dealing with a huge heartbreak or celebrating a quiet win. In her life, her day-to-day is the main focus. To her, you are just a blur passing by on the sidewalk.
We are all just passing figures to someone else. Once you realize that you aren’t the center of everyone else’s world, it becomes so much easier to give them grace. When a friend goes quiet, remember they have their own heavy things going on that you can’t see. Give them grace, give yourself grace, and remember we are all just passersby. I hope you’ve enjoyed your view inside the mind of Sugar Clark.
Be Blessed!
