Guys aren’t supposed to have anxiety disorders. They’re supposed to be logical and analytical. Stoic and serene and somehow bold at the same time. Confident in everything they believe in. Self-assured. 6’5’’ and ripped.

But I’m a guy, and I’m practically none of those things. 

Reader, if you do one thing next year, call your home your home. Just do it. No matter where it is, commit to it now. Commit to being at home where you live. 

Loving any other human being is complex and often times messy. Truly loving others is hard because it often leads to hard conversations and setting aside ourselves in order to serve someone else. Loving those struggling with addiction in our lives is no different. It’s day by day. It’s asking ourselves if we are just choosing what is easy or if we are choosing the best option for them and us. Are we supporting? Are we listening? Are we showing up and inviting them in?

Friendship is not a step down from romantic love, or a placeholder for it. It is its own complicated beast in which you will fight with and for each other. It has its own inside jokes and lines that you will figure out how not to cross together. It is a gift.