Lazy or limited?
If they can't tell lazy from limited, how can you?
You walk in, see the dishes and think: lazy. They may have got to that word hours before you did. Why nobody can tell lazy from limited.
Lazy or limited?
"You look so well": the compliment that lands wrong
A relative says something kind and your person goes quiet in the car. What looking well may have cost, and what to say that leaves room for the truth.
Plans and unpredictability
Why Tuesday was fine, but Wednesday is a crisis
Yesterday they cooked dinner and told stories. Today they cannot get out of bed. Why both days are real, and what to say on the bad one.
Plans and unpredictability
Why they cancel ten minutes before you leave
You are dressed, keys in hand, and the plan is off. What the afternoon may have been like from their side, and what to say in the hallway.
What to say, and what not to
"Have you tried…?": why advice lands so hard
You made a kind suggestion and the conversation went flat. What your advice landed on, and what to say when you want to help.
What to say, and what not to
When they have no energy left to explain
You ask what is wrong and they say they cannot explain it right now. Why the words run out on a bad day, and how to stay close without asking.