Gentle Complaints
In the midst of another endless story in which he was just a spectator, he did not sigh, nor did he glance at his phone. He found a more creative way to be heard without saying a word. It was a silent and humorous protest against the role of “nodding expert” in this relationship. Finally, the feeling found its own voice through a simple and mischievous wish. He just thought: “I want to talk about my story too.”
The melody resonates, not from a loud song, but from the depths of the mind – a common feeling that everyone has experienced when wanting to share their own passions and successes. It is a quiet, seductive hymn for anyone who loves to listen but secretly hopes to have their turn to speak.
In every relationship, there is always a speaker and a listener. Listening is a gift, an expression of love and deep respect. It is when we put aside our own world to enter the world of others, experiencing with them joy, sadness, and even trivial stories that have no beginning or end. The listener becomes a support, a strong shoulder for confidences to flow.
But even the most devoted listener has a world of their own—a world full of stories, ideas, small victories, and memorable failures. They have a project at work that just got accolades, a movie they watched and can’t stop analyzing, or a silly discovery on the way home that made them laugh to themselves. These things, however small, deserve to be shared.
This “gentle complaint” is not selfish. It is not a demand for silence. It is simply a gentle reminder of balance. It is a desire to turn a one-way conversation into a two-way street where both souls can shine and be understood. It is not born from resentment, but from love – a desire to connect more deeply by sharing our whole selves, not just our listening ears.
It was the moment he didn’t want to interrupt her story, but just wished that after the story ended, she would look at him, smile and ask: “What about you? How was your day?”
Just that simple question is enough to turn the “nodding expert” into a storyteller. And that is when the gentle complaint disappears, giving way to the full joy of being listened to and shared. Because the most beautiful love is not just listening to each other’s stories, but also writing a common story together.