While some of us feel comfortable with the prospect of visiting restaurants and bars with our friends that we haven’t seen in months, for others, it may not be the case. If you notice that some of your friends are holding back from making plans and socialising, don’t be quick to judge them. While it might be easy to assume that they simply don’t care to see you, you must also remember that, aside from the odd phone call, you haven’t spent physical time with some of your friends in over a year. A lot of things may have changed in their lives, emotionally and physically.   

Be sure to consider who they live with and if these people are still vulnerable to the virus. In addition to this, they may be battling with some post-lockdown anxiety, which is a completely rational response to all of the changes going on around us. For these individuals, go one step further when checking in with them, and if they’d prefer to stick to Facetime to catch up rather than a face-to-face gathering, support their decision by respecting their boundaries.  

When it comes down to it, there is no better way to celebrate International Friendship Day than by showing up for your loved ones when they need you. That’s friendship.