I almost ignored a phone call one evening because I was tired and honestly didn’t feel like talking to anybody.
I stared at the phone until it almost stopped ringing, then for some reason, I picked up.
The person on the other end said, “I just wanted to hear your voice. Today has been a really difficult day.”
We spoke for a while. Nothing deep. I listened, we laughed a little, and eventually said goodnight.
Later, I kept thinking about that call.
Sometimes you don’t even know what your presence means to someone. You’re just living your life, meanwhile a conversation with you, a kind word from you, or simply knowing you’re there could be the little comfort someone needed that day.
It reminded me to check on people I care about, even when everything looks fine from the outside.
When last did you randomly check on someone just because they crossed your mind?
I have friends I have not spoken to in a long while and it is never a problem. There is no silent scorecard. There is no guilt. There is no pressure to perform closeness on a schedule. When we are both available, we reconnect and continue like nothing broke. The foundation is still there. The care is still there. The loyalty is still there.
We still show up when it matters. We check in during hard seasons. We celebrate each other when life is kind. And most importantly, we are deeply considerate of where each other is in life. Careers get intense. Families need attention. Mental health fluctuates. Money stress happens. Life is not linear and mature friendships make room for that reality.
I love mature friendships that do not drift into codependence. In those friendships, you take responsibility for the kind of support you need instead of expecting people to read your mind. Adulthood is already heavy. Friendship should not become another place where people are constantly guessing emotional landmines.
My friends and I do not stay quiet hoping the other person will magically notice we need attention or care. That kind of silent suffering helps nobody. If you need support, you say it. If you are overwhelmed, you say it. If you just need company, you say it. If they notice something feels off, they say it too. Communication is normal, not a sign of weakness.
If you miss someone, you call them. If they miss you, they call you. If you want to see someone, you suggest it. No ego. No games. No testing loyalty through silence. Just clarity.
Everyone is going through something, often silently. It is selfish to assume people should always have emotional space for your needs at any random moment without communication or context. And it does not mean they are not thinking of you. Love is not measured by how often someone interrupts their survival to check on you. Sometimes love is simply knowing the door is always open.
Some days I wake up and reach out to my friends crying because things are not okay. Some days I call to celebrate wins and milestones. Some days I send memes and nothing serious at all. Some days I do not reach out. And they do not hold it against me. I do not hold it against them either.
That is the kind of friendship that feels safe. The kind that feels adult. The kind that allows you to be human without performing constant emotional availability.
That is the kind of friendship I will always choose.
One of my legit fears is not having anyone to call me back into sanity if I’m moving mad.
Imagine having yes men and enablers of your bad behavior and toxicity up to the point where you normalize abrasive behavior. God forbid.
Extremely cruel to humiliate a mother in front of her daughter like this. Even worse that this was recorded and posted on social media.
My mother used to sweep people’s houses and gutters in 2016. It hurt too much that I could do nothing financially to stop her. I often insisted on going with her, just to help fetch the water she needed so we could finish quicker and get back home before daylight. I didn’t want anyone to see us. The poverty that pushes one to hide their labour in the dark is a painful one.
Yes, that child should not be working. But more than outrage, what she and her mother deserve is compassion. The only humane response is to help.
If no one has done this already, I would like to take full responsibility for the girl’s education through university. I hope this eases their burden in some way. These are incredibly hard times.
Our Privilege blinds us in ways we’ll never truly understand.