🫂
last night i had a heart-to-heart with a friend/co-worker about our strained friendship. we’d been distancing ourselves from each other for the past year because of some misunderstandings. it made me sad for a while, especially since i was struggling with mental health, so losing a friend felt like a punch in the solar plexus. but then i came to terms with the possibility that we might never talk again, but this acceptance was not out of resentment, just the realization that some friends are not meant to be close friends.
but it all changed yesterday. we didn’t even plan to have that talk, it just came out organically during a casual chat after a long period of no real conversations, just the occasional forced small talk since we see each other at work all the time. this time we talked for hours, like we used to before our falling out, and eventually addressed the elephant in the room. we both realized that we had unknowingly done things that made each other feel unseen and hurt in the past, so we apologized and forgave each other. i’m really glad that we had a heart-to-heart where we could be honest about our feelings without being defensive or blaming each other. it was all about understanding one another, acknowledging our shortcomings, learning from our mistakes, and taking accountability for our actions.
having a heart-to-heart is special. navigating a conflict is uncomfortable, but it’s an opportunity for growth and deeper connection.
Apr 17, 2025
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⭐
the clarity and bravery that adulthood provides, in tandem with the urge to make the most of the little time you get to intimately connect with the folks who mean the most to you: these drive you to dig deeper in the single afternoon you have to catch up, talking uninterrupted for 5 whole hours.
even going on 20 years of friendship, there is still more to learn about each other. makes sense, as you’ve spent so much time in self-examination. but now is the time to share, and presenting for show and tell are their fears and yours, hesitations and hinderances and fumbles and mistakes. each time you meet, you begin to know each other anew. here, vulnerability is safe and matter-of-fact.
you speak on the knowledge you‘ve gained by suffering through experiences that they haven’t had, and between you is an easy and frank intimacy interspersed with laughter and silly noises. you’re not sure who else you could ever have this kind of conversation with. the love between friends feels honest and special, as enduring as with family. when you slowly start to shift their mindset by sharing what you’ve learned from years of struggling, from pain that seemed pointless, crushing, isolating, you start to feel that maybe there was point to it after all.
most people are exhausting but you spring away to catch the C train feeling renewed, and maybe a little wise. you are no longer children together, and that‘s okay because now you revel in your shared adulthood, in your parallels and your growth
Jan 28, 2024
🫴
Speaking to a friendship aspect: finding my people was initially exhilarating. Being seen and accepted, feeling joyful and excited to spend time together, feeling like a team in the world rather than competitors are all things my first experiences with my best friends felt like. But there were also points where we pissed each other off or hurt each other or grew apart. what set apart these Friendships was being able to talk about it and wanting to be open about our hurt or anger. We reciprocally put in work to stay connected. I could trust my friends would listen to me and try to do better. i could Also trust that I would be forgiven when I needed to do better. To this day, they are the most transformative relationships I’ve had in adulthood and I’m always so grateful for them.
Feb 18, 2025
🫴
Speaking to a friendship aspect: finding my people was initially exhilarating. Being seen and accepted, feeling joyful and excited to spend time together, feeling like a team in the world rather than competitors are all things my first experiences with my best friends felt like. But there were also points where we pissed each other off or hurt each other or grew apart. what set apart these Friendships was being able to talk about it and wanting to be open about our hurt or anger. We reciprocally put in work to stay connected. I could trust my friends would listen to me and try to do better. i could Also trust that I would be forgiven when I needed to do better. To this day, they are the most transformative relationships I’ve had in adulthood and I’m always so grateful for them.
Feb 18, 2025
Top Recs from @strawberrywine
it's nice. you can go wherever you want, do whatever you want, whenever you feel like it.
today i just felt like eating a big slice of peach earl grey cake and jasmine bergamot basque cheesecake all by myself on a sunday afternoon
Mar 30, 2025
📱
pi.fyi: a small, vibrant neighborhood filled with laid back people who acknowledge each other's presence and interact with one another
tumblr: a cold, deserted town where the very few people remaining avoid eye contact or stay in their houses
instagram: a big, gentrified, densely populated city full of billboards and noise pollution
Apr 10, 2025
Dear Louise
There's so many things I want
But mainly, and like everybody
I want to be loved
Don't you think, dear Louise
That because, I think
I have a light heart
It's been such a long time
Since I was in love?
Apr 4, 2025