When it comes to adult friendships, we're woefully inept: We barely manage to show up for our own commitments, let alone maintain our relationships. What's more, we're living in an uncharted social landscape with new conventions on how to relate-one where actual phone calls are reserved for Mom (if anyone), "dropping in" is unheard-of, and "flaking out" is routine.
The Art of Showing Up offers a roadmap through this morass to true connection with your friends, your family, and yourself. Author Rachel Wilkerson Miller teaches that "showing up" means connecting with others in a way that makes them feel seen and supported. And that begins with showing up for yourself: recognizing your needs, understanding your physical and mental health, and practicing self-compassion. Only then can you better support other people; witness their joy, pain, and true selves; validate their experiences; and help ease their burden.
When "showing up" for others, it's not the grandest gesture that matters most-it's how close you come to meeting your loved ones where they really are.
