Be You. Not for You. But For Someone Else.

We all need someone. We just don’t know who and when. Sometimes, we lean on our “rock” most often, if you are lucky enough to have one. However, sometimes it is a single interaction. Someone you have never met before. You are there together by happenstance. And, realize you have both been living life and have had life happen to you. There is a lot of beauty in that. You mean, we are all real people that have real things happen to us?

The difference is, you have to be willing to talk about it in order to connect. Connection stems from vulnerability. But, it works both ways. Catharsis should never be underrated.

You may feel at this point that you are not qualified to respond to someone else’s vulnerability when you are. The thing is, you are. You’ve lived too. That actually makes you even more qualified. Empathy goes a long way.

Now, all of this can happen over getting your hair highlighted or fishing, or something, but we should always consider ourselves to be support systems — even for people we just met — not because we have to, but because we can. Be you. And then be you for someone else.

Pro Tips:

• If your hair appointment is running behind by an hour, find the closest happy hour (if you’re lucky, it’s next door), and get a glass of wine. Why waste any time? Ludlow’s and Prime was perfect and convenient. Also, get the crawfish hushpuppies.
• Go blow off the heaviness of a conversation (but good conversation) at Fresh Market. Half off tuna steaks and a bunch of other things you do not need will do the trick.
• Fresh Market really does have the best bread. Try the rosemary sourdough, lemon loaf, and…the garlic knots. OMG.
• Fresh Market also carries Coastal Pinot Noir for about $13 a bottle. This is a great bottle of wine for $13.
• Then, go talk to your mom for three hours. None of us know how long we will be here to talk to.
• Use your airpods and clean your bathroom while you talk to your mom for three hours.

I am so fortunate to be part of a big, beautiful family. Even if things go wrong, I have all of that support. Have some grace for those that do not. They are trying — and still doing — but trying to do life alone. Maybe, you are the one that could make it a little less lonely. And, that costs zero dollars.