Hammock Time: friendships

Having genuine friends is an underrated treasure.

The kind who hype you up when you forget your power.

Who laugh with you till your stomach hurts and tears roll—

not from sadness, but from pure, ridiculous joy.

The kind who serve you chaotic banter like a five-star meal

and still hold space for your silence, your sadness, your healing.

Where being your full, weird, unfiltered self isn’t just accepted—it’s celebrated.

That’s the magic.

That’s the blessing.

Real friendships aren’t just social perks—they’re pillars of mental fitness.

They remind us we’re not alone in the messy, beautiful chaos of being human.

A strong friend circle can be the difference between spiraling and surviving—

between staying stuck and moving forward.

They hold mirrors up to our blind spots, cheer for our wins like they’re their own,

and offer soft landings when life gets too loud.

Mental fitness isn’t only built in quiet meditation or journaling marathons—

it’s shaped in belly laughs, honest conversations, shared playlists,

and the kind of texts that say “Just checking in. You good?”

And here’s another layer:

We need our own circles.

Our individual friendships that nourish us, stretch us, remind us who we are

outside of our roles—partner, parent, provider.

And we need the space to let our partner have theirs, too.

Because healthy love doesn’t mean putting everything on one person’s shoulders.

It means being full enough on our own that we come to each other

with stories to tell, experiences to share, new perspectives to offer.

We need shared circles where we can all connect, laugh, and grow together—

but also the freedom to explore our own communities,

to feel joy and belonging outside the relationship,

so we can bring that energy back to it.

That’s mental fitness.

That’s emotional sustainability.

That’s love without codependence.

Friendship—both shared and separate—isn’t just support.

It’s soul food.

And to my circle—my beautiful, brilliant, wild-hearted people

Thank you.

For being my lifelines, my joy, my check-ins, my chaos, my calm.

For seeing me in every shade and staying close anyway.

You know who you are.

My emotional support humans.

My ride-or-dies.

My loves.

This heart beats stronger because of you.