Honor among thieves, the 2024 election cycle.

During my last eight years at BofA, I formed strong connections with folks. Yesterday, I felt immense gratitude while talking with a former coworker who has become a great friend. I initiated the call and started with, “I have ten people in my favorites on my phone, and you are one of them.” We weren’t talking about anything in particular, but it highlighted how much I value genuine connections.

People will project their issues onto you and then call you the problem.

I rarely talk about my mom’s passing or its daily impact on me. Subconsciously, it has affected every aspect of my life: relationships (family, work, friends, romantic) and health (mental and physical). I am now more aware and understand how to manage the bouts of depression that come and go.

Health is the vital principle of bliss, and exercise sustains health.

I shy away from romantic relationships because I’m uncertain about what I want; what I thought I wanted ain't it. I feel the need to orchestrate intimacy, which scares me. To protect myself, I use a complicated set of traps and defense mechanisms.

“Beauty IS always strange.” - Baudelaire

There’s no need to apologize for not being romantically interested in someone, even if they are persistent or hurt. You are only responsible for how you convey your disinterest, not for their feelings.

Not everyone has the necessary skills for friendship.

How someone responds to your good and bad times reveals a lot about your relationship with them.

When discussing a challenge, I want someone who will listen, empathize, and, if asked, help think of solutions. I don’t want immediate advice without full information, to be admonished for not feeling happy all the time, or to be told to just pray about it.

There’s no user’s guide to explain life.

I am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned (read: friendships). They have shaped how I conduct myself as a friend and what I expect from friendships. I strive to give my best—nothing else, no games.

If the parenthetical phrase is part of a larger sentence or is an incomplete sentence, the period goes outside.

I Remain,

B