Friday Open Thread (with Presence and Absence)

Dear Friends,

I’m writing this at 11:52 PM on Thursday night, extremely aware of the Hugo Awards tomorrow evening (they start at 7:00 PM EST on Friday, July 31st), and all the work to do between now and then.

So I’m a ball of nerves—missing the friends who usually help me weather the stress in person, missing the brilliant talented artist friends who offer to make a canvas of my face and hair, missing the hugs and soothings. Instead I’m foam-rolling my tricksy back every few hours and mixing dough for tomorrow’s bread.

But in the midst of it all, those friends I can’t touch are speaking to me in slacks and texts and FaceTimes, giving me their care and support, and I’m thrumming as much with gratitude as with anything else.

So tell me: on this last day in the month of July, where is your body and where is your heart? Who or what are you missing, who or what are you rejoicing in the nearness of?

I'm so grateful for your absent presences here.

Love,

Amal