While having tea, Stacey (not her real name) made an interesting statement about fractured relationships in her own life that caught my attention. Literally, I asked her to pause for a moment. As I fumbled through my purse looking for a pen and scrap paper, I hoped she would be able to remember her exact words. So I could write them down.

Jumbling through my lipstick, nail clipper, Chap Stick, and car keys, I finally located a pen. But the only paper I could find was my Christmas shopping list. So I flipped it over and said, “Okay, would you please repeat yourself?”

Collecting her thoughts, she restated her words:

Through the years my family members stopped talking. Because of the lack of communication, they began to assume things. And in their minds, their assumptions became facts.

Stacey’s statement demonstrated great insight. Reflecting over a splintered relationship in my own life, I wondered how often I allowed assumptions to become facts. Maybe I needed to pause and evaluate my assumptions about others.