When Just Being There is Everything

A few days back, a friend forwarded me a random article about the "silent power of proximity." I almost ignored it. But something about those words tugged at me, and I opened it. And then I couldn’t stop reading. It didn’t shout with motivation or offer quick fixes. It whispered something deeper, something I had felt many times but never had words for.

It spoke about the unspoken magic of presence. The comfort that comes not through long conversations or grand gestures, but simply from being around “your people.” No expectations. No need to do anything. Just be.

We often think comfort comes in solutions, in people telling us the right thing, offering advice, or fixing our problems. But real comfort it’s so much quieter than that. It’s sitting beside someone while you cry without them interrupting you. It’s that one friend who doesn’t ask questions but shows up at your door with coffee. It’s your mother just being in the same room as you, doing her own thing, and somehow making your chaos feel safer.

There was a time not too long ago when I found myself at a complete crossroads. Nothing made sense. Nothing made sense. Everything felt like it was crumbling. People were fading. I was fading. But then one friend sat beside me. Said nothing. Stayed.

Another hugged me while I cried like a child. And someone else, the same one who sent me that article reminded me of the soft, silent power that lives in presence

. I’ve seen it everywhere ; People in temples crying in front of their gods not for solutions, but just to be held. Children curling into their parents after school not to talk, but to belong. Friends sharing silence on rooftops, in hospital corridors, over calls that didn’t need words. Because proximity is not always physical. It’s the nearness of souls. The quiet whisper of: “You are not alone.”

And maybe that’s why these lyrics from a very famous TV show “ Friends” have echoed for decades in the hearts of so many:

"I'll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour)

I'll be there for you (Like I’ve been there before)

I'll be there for you ('Cause you're there for me too)"

It’s not just a theme song. It’s a promise that one that so many of us live every day, in small, silent ways. So here’s to the people who check in quietly. To the ones who stay, even in silence. To the ones who never make you feel like you're too much. To the ones who show up with presence, with patience, with proximity.

And if you’re reading this and thinking of someone maybe today is the day you send that “I’m here” message. Or maybe, it’s your turn to receive one. No big words. No grand plans. Just… stay.