In a world where degrading comments and behavior are sometimes the norm, what we all need is a little more affection. Sometimes I think affection is a bit underrated - we don't want to seem overly emotional or overly attached for fear of looking weak. When we do express strong feelings, it's often in a romantic context, and not for those who might need them the most - our friends.

To put it very ineloquently, friends are great. Although recent events in my life have changed me a little and affected my ability to feel emotion as I once did, I have been blessed with friends who truly care about my well being (if you're reading this, thank you so much!!). We (myself included) sometimes take our friends for granted, when really they should be a priority for us all. At my graduation party, my mom told me that she told my godmother (her close friend of over twenty years) that she loved her for the first time - and that she regrets not saying it sooner. Without realizing it, my mom taught me yet another important life lesson. Although I have my issues with love, I will say, in the words of a very sharp eight year old named Jessica: "You shouldn't say "I love you" unless you mean it, but if you do, say it often. People forget." (Don't you love it when children know more about the world than all the rest of us combined?) These are words to live by, and our friends should be no exception. We don't have to fall all over each other expressing our undying declarations of love every day to get the point across. We may say it occasionally, and it's super great to hear, but most of the time we can say it through actions, as I try my very best to do. As corny and trite as that sounds, it really does change your outlook on things when you make actively loving a way of life.

Speaking from experience, when you're in total breakdown mode and you call a friend in panic mode, or you fall into one of those funks where you feel like you have no one, it feels good to hear that you matter to someone, whether expressed directly or not. I know, and so I try to be that person whenever I need to be. Some of you may know that I fall asleep every night with my phone on maximum volume, so that if someone calls me in the middle of the night, I'll definitely wake up (as if Charli XCX warbling about how fancy she is wouldn't do the trick itself). I'm writing this now so that everyone reading this knows that if you need someone, regardless of the time, I'll be that person. I know what it feels like to feel that you have absolutely no one, and it is why I try my best to show love whenever I need to/can. Trust me, I think no better of myself for this. I still have a long way to go in so many areas. I am ever grateful for those in my life who have inspired me to love more, and while love is never without risk, for our friends, it is a risk we should all be willing to take.