12/10/2017

• Throughout my life, the phrase “I love you” had (unconsciously) been reserved for blood relatives and partners. It’s not that I don’t love my friends. I truly do. I just show it in silent ways. Messaging them idly, writing letters, and pouring my heart into birthday gifts. Recently, in a group thread, Anish capped off the night by letting Vinay and I know he loved us. That moment reminded me of the fact I rarely explicitly tell my friends that I love them. This might partly be due to gender conditioning, but in any case, I want to change that. I shouldn’t be shy when it comes to publicly expressing how much my friends mean to me. Whether it’s a heart emoji, leaning on their shoulder, or a random “I love you.” On a long enough timescale, loving infinitely comes back around. Chances are, if you found this entry, you already have a portion of my heart carved out. And for that, I love you.