I have people who can handle the less polished version of me

Dear Delyara, That may be one of the greatest gifts in my life now. Friends who do not need me to be entertaining, wise, articulate, funny, stable, or socially smooth in order to stay. Friends who can sit with slower versions of me without making it awkward. Friends who hear the change in tone and don’t demand that I immediately explain myself in perfect language. I didn’t know how much of friendship I had once confused with performance until I experienced a version that felt safe enough to arrive unedited. That kind of friendship has repaired parts of me more quietly than therapy ever could.