The Beauty of the Unfinished: How Incomplete Stories Stay With Us

There’s something about unfinished things that leaves a mark, isn’t there? We’ve all been there – a book we meant to finish, a movie we paused halfway through, thinking we’d come back but we never did. Unfinished words, left hanging between us and someone we loved. Or worse, a love that unraveled before it ever had the chance to bloom. These things linger in the back of our minds, quietly pulling at our thoughts and at times, our hearts.

Why do we think so much about what’s unfinished? Maybe it’s because we believe that completion will offer some kind of resolution – a sense of closure that’ll allow us to move forward. But the truth is, these unfinished pieces of our lives often stay with us, weaving themselves into who we are.

I often wonder about the books I’ve left unread. There’s a nagging sense of wonder – what happens next? How does the story end? But there’s also something more. It’s not just about the plot I’ve missed, it’s about the Me who began reading that book. That version of myself, curious and hopeful, remains tethered to those pages. And now, without finishing, part of me is still stuck there, waiting to turn the next page.

The same goes for all the films half-watched. We press pause, thinking we’ll come back later, but later doesn’t always come. And so, the story…