there are downsides to everything, of course. being at least half in love with your friends may mean you feel jealous sometimes. hanging out with them may mean you don’t get enough sleep that night. everything has an opportunity cost (and yes, the only thing i learned in ap economics was how to make it a metaphor).
as with anything, balance is key and balance can mean different things at different times. for me, sometimes it means hanging out with everyone all the time for a while and then spending weeks where i don’t really see anyone outside of work. sometimes it means balancing each week with the amount of friend-time i would like and the amount of solo-time i would like.
it took me a while to realize and really appreciate how much i love solitude, partially because i still get jealous when i see what the balance looks like for other people. (a reminder, mostly for myself but for anyone else who needs it: social media is, of course, a curated experience of someone’s life, and we should not make the mistake of comparing our insides with someone else’s outsides.) it is also partially the mere fact of aging; when i was younger i trusted myself less and depended more on external validation. (not to mention i could function on less sleep, which meant i could socialize more.)
i find myself settling into a different role these days, now that i spend a lot of time with folks who are younger than me, one where i can share with them the benefit of my experience. without (hopefully) sounding too condescending, i like to think that part of it is modeling good behavior, so that even me leaving social gatherings early counts toward it. it’s how i’m striking the balance.
the threes are some of my favorite cards in tarot; they represent the completion of a journey. with cups, you start with the ace and love’s beginnings, before moving onto the frequently-romantic love of the two, and this first journey ends with community, with friends, with dear ones of all stripes.
this week, darlings, let’s be brave and rely on our friends. let’s use direct communication to ask for what we need and trust that they will love us even though we have needs. (i’m sure i’m not the only one unlearning that particular lesson, eh?) this week, my darlings, be well.
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this week’s deck: sasuraibito tarot
this week’s crystals: rose quartz, citrine