“Turn on the light, stumble inside.”

The trouble with having real friends is that they won’t believe your lies.

They ask you how things are going. You say fine; your eyes betray you. They hound you for the rest of the afternoon until you finally fess up to what’s bothering you.

Fortunately, that troublesome little attribute is also the best thing in the world. We all want to be known, to be seen. Sometimes, that requires a little unabashed honesty, which is risky but essential to the authenticity of said relationship. Sometimes it hurts, usually it’s really uncomfortable; but in the end you find yourself spooning with your two closest friends on your roommate’s bed and you know that nothing in the world will ever take this moment from you. Right now, you are accepted for who you are, and even if no one else gives a damn, you’ve made a connection. There are so many things that friends cannot fix, but at least they are there and they see you. Gestaltists believe that all anyone really needs is validation. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it sure does feel nice to have someone else say I exist.