6 ways to be a friend that are 100% free

dear mfers,

Here is an excerpt of an actual Slack conversation I had with our art director, Logan:

Logan: i’m literally so bad at small talk. i panic. i have no questions…empty head.

Mi-Anne: i know, small talk makes me feel like a failure, which i know is crazy and i am working on that lol

Logan: i have the worst small talk questions of all time.

Mi-Anne: i just feel really bad if the conversation doesn’t go outside of small talk. i feel like i failed at connecting with someone or didn’t give them what they expect of me.

Mi-Anne: i truly always have a list of questions for pretty much any gathering whether i’m with friends or not:

• what is one genre you just can’t get into no matter how hard you try? (I usually start with TV and then slowly go into movies and music.)

• what is one TV show that you consider your MissionInLife™️ to convince other people to watch? (caveat: the keyword here is convince, so this show cannot be something that is arguably beloved by the masses like say, The Office.)

What are yours? 😅

— mi-anne

1. I cut us an orange :) Peeling an orange, leaving behind a perfect, snake-shaped swirl of pith and skin is a small, but earnest act of love and kindness. This extends to taking on the extra work of any food item, be it tearing enough bread for two or peeling the shells off shrimp as my friend Carly does for me.

2. Reacting To Your BeReal. Social media is silly!!!! That said, reacting to your friend’s BeReal is an arguably meaningless, but nonetheless sweet way to make them feel fuzzy inside.

3. Get your @$$ up and take off your makeup. This is true love in a single sentence and I will fight anyone who thinks otherwise! Real friends never let you sleep in makeup.

4. Wall of likes. Social media is silly!!!! Pt. 2 But not as silly as seeing your best friend (or mom) like 45 of your posts in a row.

   reminding you to drink water @drinkwaterslut

   You sure do cry a lot. Drink water now to refill your tears.

5. Spotify Blend Thingy. In high school, my friend and I passed a dirty piece of paper back and forth during English class, sharing our favorite new songs of the week. It’s not quite as cute, but the insights you learn about your friends from Spotify Blend and shared playlists are important foundations of friendship!

6. Does everyone have enough water? Sometimes your friends feel anxious and the only way you know how to act is with a gesture. Naturally, you offer them a glass of water. Hydration is somehow the cure for many things like: hangovers, heartbreak, frustrating parents, and tummy aches.

A definitive list, this is not. What’s on yours?