In the great masquerade of modern life, acquaintances wear masks and sip cocktails, while true friends are the ones backstage, holding your emotional hair back as you emotionally vomit your life’s truths.
But what really separates a true friend from a casual acquaintance or even a regular ol’ “friend”? Let’s dig in, with gloves off and hearts open.
There’s an old saying that blood is thicker than water. But no one talks about how sometimes, that blood runs cold.
There’s a dangerous illusion that gets passed down in families like a tarnished trophy: the "Golden Child" role. At first glance, it looks like praise and privilege. But peel back the shine, and you often find emotional manipulation, unspoken expectations, and a gnawing void where self-worth should be.
I know. I lived in that house.
There’s a certain irony in being the one who sees the storm coming while everyone else insists the sky is clear. You warn them. You show them the dark clouds, the incoming thunder, the way the air changes before the lightning strikes—and they still insist on planning a picnic.
So, you stop shouting over the wind and let them bring the potato salad.
