Assume nothing

On Monday nights, I always talk to my parents on the phone. I had a pretty lengthy conversation with my mom this last Monday. I had always assumed what my mother's motivations were when talking about a certain person/topic. I never understood why she kept bringing up this person/topic. I figured she just needed to talk things out and I was a good listener.

Several months ago, I had told my mother that I didn't want to hear the stories over and over again. We did however, talk about it Monday night. She said that the reason she keeps talking about it is because she didn't think that I believed her. I told my mother that I never doubted the stories that she had told me. It was such an insight for both of us. The light bulb came on over both of our heads. My mom said that we should have communicated better all along. I learned that I should never assume a person's reasoning or motivation behind what they say. As the slogan goes...assume nothing.