Exploring Friendship
Who is your best friend?
There is nothing like the intimacy of being understood. The poetry of holding a friend’s hand, or laying your head on their shoulder, or laughing long and hard into the depths of the night. There is nothing like the intimacy of knowing that someone, somewhere shares your heart’s echo.
I used to think I knew what it meant to love and be loved by a friend. I considered myself to be a “good enough” friend—someone who could listen & offer advice, meet up for a fun night out or experience new things with you, but also someone who probably wouldn’t answer a spontaneous call, send a card in the mail, or open up about my own in-the-moment struggles.
And then I met Andy.
The first time I ever spoke to Andy, she was crying. She was vulnerable and open and soft and trusting. She laid her soul bare and I reached out to touch it. I felt its edges and they felt like my own. It was up to me to love her fully, as she was and where she was.
Until then, I’d always thought of healing as a solo journey—something dark and ugly that no one, even your best friends, should have to witness—yet in Andy’s tears, I found an honesty & beauty that freed me.
Andy has helped me to reshape what kind of friend I am and want to be. She’s taught me the beauty of leaning-in to community, and that platonic love can help you to meet yourself in ways you didn’t expect.
In a few days, Andy and I are traveling to Isla Holbox, just the two of us, and spending a week together amongst its sandy streets and turquoise waters. It’ll be our second annual trip together—the first being Olympic National Park— and my heart is overflowing with excitement and anticipation.
With my best friend by my side, the possibilities are endless.