I used to fake it through every family dinner until my aunt called me out on it

She straight up said 'you're not fine, I can see it in your eyes' and that hit different than all the 'you okay?' questions I normally brush off. Maybe it's just me but having one person actually see through the act made me realize I don't have to keep the mask on all the time. Has anyone else had a relative just refuse to accept your 'I'm fine' answer?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_mitchell261mo ago

Man I read this article about how most people actually prefer being called out gently rather than the usual small talk. It said something about how "I'm fine" is basically a social script we all follow. Your aunt broke the script. That takes guts. My uncle did something similar once, just sat next to me during a holiday dinner and said "you look like you're carrying bricks in your chest." Didn't even ask a question. Just stated it. Made me actually talk about stuff I'd been hiding for months.

lewis.finley1mo ago

Three people in my life have done that and it always breaks something loose I didn't know was stuck.