A "friend" invited me to be a bridesmaid in her destination wedding. She "forgot" to pay me back for the $800 bachelorette Airbnb, the $300 dress, and $200 in hair/makeup. At the reception, she bragged about how the wedding was "under budget."
For her wedding gift, I gave her a beautiful, heavy Tiffany box. Inside was no jewelry, just a printed, itemized invoice for $1,300 with a "PAID" stamp across it. I included a note: "Since the wedding was under budget, I figured you’d love to know your debt to me is officially settled! Consider this my gift. Congrats!" I finished my champagne and took the early shuttle back to the hotel.
None of this is normal. It is not normal to wake up each day and learn of new massacres. It is not normal to have to check-in with people to see if they are still alive, to see if they are all accounted for. Shame on all those who normalize or justify these atrocities.