February 2, 2022

Editor: Melody Leibner & Ryan Hammel

Artist: Jordyn Axelrod

With domestic violence awareness week and Valentine’s day coming up, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on the happy and healthy relationships in my life. This has encouraged me to consider the origins of the depth of love I have for my best friends, and I realized that it traces back to a childhood struggle.

I was a really independent kid. My parents divorced when I was four, and with no biological siblings, I dealt with this hardship on my own. This experience instilled within me a deep fear of relying on others, and I trained myself to be a source of my own happiness in case anything ever went wrong. I had great friends growing up, many of whom are still fundamental pillars of my life that I couldn’t imagine living without, but it wasn’t until I grew up and recognized the authenticity of my friendships that I began to let myself count on the people around me. I learned how to ask for help, from anything as small as reaching something on the top shelf (I’m 5’1”) to debriefing a hard day. I learned how to feel safe and confident in the consistency of my friendships, and to let go of the once persistent voice in my head telling me these relationships are temporary. The emotional recovery from my parents’ divorce, which followed a seemingly flawless fifteen-year marriage, is one that I recognized as having a deep impact on the person I am today.

More than anything, though, I learned that the love I have for my best friends is genuine, unconditional, and undefined by any time or geographical distance - and that in any healthy relationship, these qualities should be reciprocated. 

So, as we enter the month of February and store decorations slowly change to red and pink hearted prints, let's remind ourselves and each other to always say I love you - and not just on special occasions. And beyond that, let's continue to hear each other, on the good days and the bad. February, in the words of one of my mentors back home and influencer Maddy Ciccone: “Let’s start living joyful, loving, and above all else- fearless”. I’m ready when you are.