These are my most recent obs, from this Saturday and Sunday.

The first happened on Saturday evening when I was visiting my friend to help organize at her woodshop. We were seated at a table together, her working on a letter and me planning a pattern on some scrap planking. We weren't talking much, just busying ourselves in our work, when she said "can I ask you something?" and when I looked over her eyes were glistening.

This, of course, snapped me right to attention and I asked her what was wrong. She told me she was struggling to write a letter to her sister in rehab, and was worried, both about her and about not being able to convey what she needed to.

"I love her so much," she said, her eyes starting to flow. I put my hand on her upper back and rubbed gently in circles. "Well, that might be a good opening right there," I said back. I didn't want to interrupt her train of thought, so I didn't say much else, but just sat next to her and watched her write. She has very wet eyes when she becomes emotional. They tend to gleam and fill with pools of tears, so it's hard for her to hide it.

She seemed relieved after she finished writing. She never went beyond some very wet eyes and a streak or two on her cheeks, but it seemed a weight of her shoulders after she was done with the letter. She told me afterwards, "you always know how to be here at the right times."

The second one came Sunday afternoon. I texted a friend of mine, an older woman, who I knew was going through some personal and financial difficulties, and had been pretty quiet lately. She told me was struggling and I asked if I could drop in to visit her for a bit after work.

She admittedly doesn't enjoy crying, but sometimes can't help herself. We hugged, and sat down in chairs in her living room as she explained the nature of her current crisis, and the general feeling of betrayal and condescension she'd experienced from some other "friends."

All the while, she kept pausing from time to time to wipe her eyes and sniffle, and her face screwed up with anguish at a few points, but she held it together enough to keep talking. I wouldn't say her lips tend to curl prominently when crying, but moreso they press tight into each other as her face clenches.

I admittedly would be very curious to see her sobbing, but she rarely ever reaches that point. Still, she too told me she felt better for having been able to talk to someone, and thanked me graciously for checking in on her while we had a goodbye bear hug.