Uplift

Long hugs where neither person wants to be the one to let go. 
Helping set up for a dinner party.
Being told that you are not your job and finally believing it. 
Showing up in times of crisis even when there’s been radio silence. 
Crying and laughing in the span of twenty minutes, 
on two ends of a phone call, separated by continents. 

Unexpected notes and postcards in the mail. 
Memes in your DMs. 
Your ugliest thoughts being met with curiosity. 
Planning a trip to celebrate two decades of friendship. 
Parents getting visited by friends visiting your hometown. 

Photo by Natalie Kinnear on Unsplash

Choosing to have difficult conversations because at the end of the bridge, 
lies the promise of a deeper understanding and intimacy. 
Making the time when its inconvenient. 
Cleaning up. 
Staying up way past your bedtime to have a long overdue chat. 
A space to talk about your demons, free of judgement. 
Being told that Paul Krugman and your writing is starred and read weekly. 

Reassurance that one event, or a series of them, 
don’t define who you are or who you’re meant to be. 
Video calls, book and podcasts recommendations on the go. 
Freshly baked bread as a take home gift. 
Joy for you when you achieve a yoga pose you’ve spent years working towards. 
Feeling lighter after a conversation. 
To be pushed into expanding one’s horizons and step into discomfort. 
And sometimes when the obvious needs a clear statement, just saying I love you.