Jack S.
Photography by Caroline MacLaren
If you’re reading this, it’s not a burden.
By no means am I a certified therapist (yet), but those who are close to me know that my greatest fear is that my friends feel like they can’t talk to me about an issue that’s bothering them.
Let’s start large. No one on this Earth has zero problems. At nearly every point in the day, each of you reading this has concerns, confusion, and questions about the lives you’re living.
This is what connects all of us. Trying to find our way in a world that is so populated with people that it can feel like you’re all alone.
On a personal note, over the last year and a half I had some of my darkest days. Pandemic raging, poor academic performance, and extracurricular stressors just added to it. As a surfer, it reminded me of getting constantly forced underwater by crashing waves one after another with only a split-second to gasp for air in between. I’m sure many of you felt the same way.
What was one thing that kept me afloat? Reaching out and asking a friend to chat. It could be a text, a call, a facetime, a lunch, even just a passing by. I’m pretty stubborn when it comes to admitting I need help, and I acknowledge the fears that come with opening up.
“Will they think of me differently? I’m supposed to be strong.”
“It’s going to ruin the mood.”
“I don’t want people to pity me.”
“It’s not that big of a deal just keep pushing.”
I was scared, but after verbalizing how I was feeling, it felt like the winds had changed and the rough ocean was now calm.
Now, from the perspective of your friend, I want to tell you why it’s not a burden to me.
It’s not a burden to me because you’re my friend and I want you to be as happy as possible. No one is going to be happy all the time, but when you’re truly happy you light up the room like no other.
It’s not a burden to me because it’s easy to get lost in your own head, and I want to help you organize it.
It’s not a burden to me because pushing too hard hurts, and I don’t want you to be in pain.
It’s not a burden to me because if you open up to me, I’ll be shocked by your ability to bear that weight on your own for so long. Please let me help carry it with you.
It’s not a burden to me because when I see you some time from now and you feel like the best version of yourself, we can rejoice together to the fullest extent.
Your friend,
Jack S., Villanova University
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