something(s) that someone has said to me that i’ll never forget

i could write about that mean thing someone said to me in the lunch line in sixth grade that i think about sometimes. but i won’t. because this isn’t about that.

instead i want to write about something ruby said to me. she said she loved me and my sweaty hands. having anxiety sucks and it manifests in physical ways i cannot control. so when she said this and held my hand i felt loved. completely and fully loved. including the parts i thought were gross. ruby said my hands could never be gross. i think so too.

i also want to write about something a friend said to me in class. this was first semester of my sophomore year of college. i was in a group and every time i wanted to speak, i was continually interrupted by three people. throughout this, a friend would say “oh i think gaby was saying…” or “gaby u had said…” but it’s like neither of us were heard. afterward, she came and sat next to me. she said she was annoyed with what happened and said this happened to her too. we discussed how exhausting this is in academic settings. i felt understood in a way i didn’t think i could be. she also said that she wanted me to feel safe when speaking to her. she didn’t want me to feel silenced or talked over, so if i ever did feel that, to let her know. i think about this a lot. she said it with genuine love and care i cannot express in words. i hold this close to my heart.