Can you read facial expressions?

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I'm asking because recently I went to the hospital with my mother to visit her brother, my uncle Jan whose wife died recently. I told him I had a dream about her and when I told him this dream, I saw something visibly like... changed about his facial expression although I wasn't exacly sure what it was. My mom told me later uncle was close to tears (he loved his wife and was very attached to her) - and I didn't notice this because no tears came out of his tear ducts - I just noticed something changed about his face, that's all. I had no idea he was indeed close to tears.

Do you have similar experiences?

I could say that I read them, but my interpretation is not the reality. That has cost me some potential friends :/

I can notice the changes, but often wonder what they might mean. Sometimes I relate them to expressions I’ve seen a lot and feel sure about what they mean, or only realize after the situation ends.

I have to know someone really well, be quite familiar with them face to face before I can even begin to guess what their facial expressions are saying. Some people have the same few expressions, and I can learn what they mean over time. Other times, I can pick up on something different or off but not know what. I'm clueless with people I don't see a lot or know well.

I just know something is off, bad or good.
But not the specifics or the underlying meaning.

Mostly because I don't even have the basic habit of observing anyone's facial expressions and body language.


But I'll learn.
In fact I'm just starting.

This includes myself and whatever subtle tells I ended up expressing.
I plan to get rid of it -- I do not a natural poker face like some autistics have, but that's something I want and plan on having.

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Yeah I can. Just tonight I had my audiobook playing on my headphones but had asked my partner when he was going to bed. His reply sounded like he said "you're doing my head in!" but I had to doubt it because those words didn't match his facial expression. I could see his face clearly but couldn't hear exactly what he was saying because I had my headphones on with the audiobook playing. So I just shrugged and carried on with what I was doing.