Ahhhh, Sheri! I love this! Really beautiful! I can relate to that need to fill the uncomfortable space with words. It used to be a huge problem for me, and although in part I'm sure it was as you suggest here, but for me, it was also that I had been raised to believe that I was responsible for the happiness and comfort of others. It was my "role" to keep them smiling, and that meant that an uncomfortable silence needed to be "fixed" - by me.

In recent years, I'm better at those weird places, although I don't have a lot of interactions with people these days as I'm on my own and housebound with this leg injury.

I'll definitely be keeping your thoughts on this topic in mind the next time I'm met with one of those awkward silences. Food for thought, for sure. Thank you! 💜