A friend held the room steady enough that I didn’t have to

Dear Delyara, That felt like such a relief. I’m used to being the one who notices the tone, fills the pause, keeps things smooth, adjusts first, makes sure the emotional room doesn’t crack. This week, with one friend, I didn’t have to do that. She held the room steady enough that I could simply be inside it. It’s amazing how restful that is. I think some friendships are not only comforting because of what is said, but because of the emotional labor they remove from your side of the table. This was one of those.