The Days Of Our Lives

We didn’t know we were living inside the good years. That’s the thing about 2016 and 2017. You didn’t recognize them as special while they were happening. They didn’t announce themselves. They just unfold quietly, day after day, while you were busy being young and unguarded. Looking back now, those years feel like one long afternoon that never really ended. Not stagnant. Not lazy. Just unhurried. Time moved with intention then, like it understood there was no need to shove you forward. Days came and went without demanding explanations. You were allowed to exist. Proper comfort.

We were young then. Properly young. Happy in a way that didn’t need defending. Innocent, not because we were clueless, but because life hadn’t placed its full weight on us yet. It hadn’t introduced itself with clenched fists. It spoke softly. Almost kindly. And the peace was something else. You woke up without that tight knot in your chest. You slept without replaying the day in your head, hunting for mistakes. Problems existed, but they were bite-sized. Manageable. They didn’t creep in quietly and choked you like carbon monoxide while you were busy pretending everything was fine.

The thing that stands out the most, the thing that refuses to loosen its grip on you is the connections. The people. People were there. Fully. Not half-present. Not nodding while scrolling through TikTok or waiting for the next notification. They stayed. They sat with you. Conversations ran long. Sometimes pointless, sometimes deep, sometimes both at once. You argued, disagreed, then made up and laughed over food. You forgave without speeches. Friendships...