I know them

 “I know them.”

respectfully, no you don’t.

not if you haven’t been there lately.
not if you haven’t checked in.
not if you haven’t sat in the middle of our chaos
or heard the laughter that follows it.

you don’t know the long days
the short nights
the quiet growth that doesn’t get posted
or the strength it took just to keep showing up.

you don’t know the little things
the routines, the changes, the moments
that shaped us into who we are right now.

because knowing someone
isn’t based on history…
it’s built on presence.

and if you haven’t been present,
you don’t get to say you know us.