Steph Claire Smith

But it might make them realise that you don't need to show up in a friendship in that way to show your love.

Because maybe this person, as you said, they don't necessarily have many close people in their life, but maybe they don't know any other way of showing love and that's their only attachment that they know is to like...

touch base every day and to like try and catch up a lot and, you know, and I think until they experience other relationships, which is hard because like how do you encourage that to happen really, they probably won't know that.

But by assuring them that the way that you act, being that it is different and making that pretty clear, doesn't at all take away from how much you care about them, might make them realise that like they don't need to keep seeking your –

opinion on things or you're right back or whatever because that's not necessarily what means that you care about someone.

I don't know.

No, I agree.

I think it's like you're seeking or in this instance, they're seeking validation that you're still there and you still love them and you're still best friends or whatever it might be.

And I think that is such a good point, Sev.

I do.

I think it's about how do you make them feel safe in the conversation.

Because you're not replying 24-7, it does not mean that you do not love them.

And it's explaining that you're... And it's also the why behind it.

Like, I think it probably won't go down well if you sat down and said, I have other friends that I like spending time with.

Like, that's not... I wouldn't frame it that way.

I would say, you know, like my career...

My work is really busy.

It's really demanding of my time and energy.

And I can't always reply because of whatever reason it's demanding.

And I don't want, as you said, I don't want you to think that that means that I don't love you or that we're not friends.