Dear Friend Indeed,

Breathe.

Hiiiiiii.

Once sent someone a text and the first thing they replied was “Is that 5 Ys in Hey?” I knowww, but how are you supposed to know it's me with just one y? Ehn?🌚🌝

Anyhoo, as-salaam alaykum warahmatuLlahi wabarakaatuh. How are y'all?

Yeah, yeah. I know. I cannot just come in here and act like I haven't ghosted y'all for an entire month. I know. I also know that I should do better.

Again, I have excuses. It's not like pe I forgot you people, but yunno, well…these things happen. Excuses, excuses…

But really, things have just been so hectic, subhanaLlah. If I had written to y’all, would probably have been a total downer. And let's not talk even about resumption. I've had the roughest week, no thanks to my horrible life choices where education is concerned and well, the managements of this school.🥲

But that's a story for anybody that's interested enough to bring food.

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Sha, here's what I've been thinking about.

A couple weeks ago, one of my friends(we’ll call her Ayman) , who happens to be one of the warmest and kindest people I know, was complaining about how she was feeling terrible because she had been unable to be there for her friends who needed her that day because she hadn't been feeling too well herself.

Then she went “I'm just that terrible friend who ignores messages and uploads statuses”. The thing chook me shoemaker needle for chest, make I no lie, but I swallow am. Because, ahnahn, is this playing??

She could literally have said, “Now I'm just like Rali.” I mean, if she's that terrible friend, what am I? That evil friend?

But I digress.

My point is, many of you are in this woman's shoes. I mean, I've come to accept that I really am that terrible friend that should totally do better but at the same time, those of you in Ayman's shoes also need to be calming down. Take it easy on yourself please.

Now, every time I count my blessings, I count my friends in CAPITAL LETTERS because, they're such wonderful humans and an amazing support system that just thinking about how grateful I am to Allah for them brings me to tears.

As the mess of a human being that I am, nobody understands the importance of a support system more than I do(I'm sure y'all do but wo, rest. You get the gist). I've relied on the being there of my friends so many times and fallen short of being there for other people a couple of times myself that I can actually imagine what you feel when you can't be there when your friend(s) need you.

So, today, I'm writing on behalf of the friends who have needed you, are needing you and will need you again and here is what I have to say for us:

Dear Friend Indeed,

Time and again, you've shown up in my time of need. You've been the voice of reason, the shoulder to cry on, the steadying hand and the hand that wiped my tears. You've been the voice of hope. And I am grateful.

I want you to know that I see you and the weight you carry and I do not take you for granted. I understand that just like me, you're human too and sometimes, even you need your weight to be carried. I understand that sometimes, in my time of need, even you are weighed down by your own needs.

And in those times, I hope you remember to be to yourself, a friend indeed. I hope you see to your own needs as you would mine. I hope you remember that, more than anyone else, you need you. I hope you remember to breathe and let your own weight be carried in turn, by your friends indeed.

Love,

Your Friends.

Before I go, it just occured to me that I've been out of school since the beginning of this newsletter and now that school has resumed, I genuinely don't know. I really want to keep this up and not keep ghosting y'all.🙃

Kindly make Dua that Allah eases it for me and guides me to do it in the best way possible please.

Because, this school thing…I just want to sleep.

Until laters sha, as-salaam alaykum!