“A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.”
—— The Note Book of Elbert Hubbard, Elbert Hubbard
I’ve spent a lot of energy in friendships performing a version of myself I thought was easier to like — agreeable, low-maintenance, never inconvenient. It took one real friend gently calling that out for me to notice I was doing it.
The friendships that have lasted are the ones where I stopped editing. Where I could be tired, difficult, unsure, and still be wanted at the table.
Being fully known by someone and still chosen — that’s the whole point of having anyone close at all.