She called and let me cry without fixing me

Dear Delyara, I told her I was having a hard day, and when she called, she didn’t come in with solutions or stories or that bright panic people sometimes use when they want to make your sadness manageable for themselves. She just stayed steady. Asked one or two simple things. Let me cry. Didn’t rush the silence. Didn’t tell me I was strong. Didn’t try to turn it into a lesson. I think what moved me most was the lack of pressure. I didn’t have to improve while I was on the call. I didn’t have to sound wise or grateful or composed. I just got to be upset. That is rarer than it should be.