There’s something unexpected about grief that has really stood out to me. It’s the way it reveals who truly shows up when everything falls apart. There are friends I haven’t talked to in months, and there are in years, people I’ve lost touch with or simply haven’t had the time to reach out to. Yet, when Papa passed away, they were the first ones to visit, the first ones to check on me.

I don’t even know how to express the gratitude I feel for them. Their presence was a comfort I didn’t know I needed, especially at a time when everything felt like it was crumbling. It’s strange, though. I’ve been so caught up in my own world, lost in the rush of everyday life, that I didn’t even realize how much I missed those connections until I saw their faces at my door, their hands offering support without hesitation.

It’s humbling, really, to realize that while I’ve been preoccupied with my own struggles, there were people who never stopped caring. They didn’t need to be reminded to check in on me, to be there in the hardest moment of my life.

I’m ashamed I haven’t kept up with them, but I’m grateful for the reminder that real friendship doesn’t fade, even when time and distance separate us. It’s these people, the ones who show up without asking for anything in return, that I want to hold on to. And maybe, in the wake of this pain, I’ll be more intentional about reaching out to them too. They’ve shown me what it means to truly be there for someone.