There are certain humans…
…in life you must love with ferocity because… even though they may fumble at first, surprised and bleary eyed as they reach for their ringing phone in the wee hours, they’re still going to answer when you are calling them.
These are your 3am people, the special folks who would readily take an ungodly hour phone call from you – even if they’re mid-REM.
I treasure these men and women – the few, the far between.
The older I get the more conscious I am that my friend circle doesn’t need to be so big it warrants a postcode.
In the last ten years, friendships have soured, distance has taken a couple bonds hostage while some other pals just changed their minds about me and severed ties – without explanation; this mystery hurts more than name-calling. And while the sting of silent rejection smarts, ultimately, time has done its thing and only a faint scar remains.
Reflecting on the people who have actively shut me out of their lives is scary enough; the questions come… am I a bad person? A bitch? Too self-involved? But writing this all down is terrifying. Now the unanswered questions that trip me up now and then, are free to taunt me in these paragraphs.
Still. The passage of years comforts and writing soothes.
As for my 3am folks. I hold them steadfast to my heart and I’m loyal to the last. So, I keep the phone by my bed every night, ringer on.
© Phyllis Foundis 2026