To all my friends, real and virtual.

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, Hivers! Hi!, everyone. How are you? I hope you're having a wonderful and productive day with your loved ones and closest friends. My intention today, my first time posting in this interesting #GEMS Community, drawn in by @rufajane's post, is to dedicate my words to my friends, both real and virtual—those I can count on my fingers…

My parents instilled in me the importance of cultivating good relationships to reap good friendships. And indeed, I have a harvest of friends who have always been there to lend a hand; their support has been unconditional. I never aspired to have “a million friends,” like the song lyrics say.

I'm the complete opposite of my recently acquainted @rufajane, who describes herself as a young woman with a fragile character, but I'm sure that behind that fragility lies a whirlwind of potential energy that those around her know. I'm stronger; well, the years and the experiences we live through shape us.

Having just arrived in these frigid lands of Canada, I found the warmth of its people, my neighbors. Today, they are more than friends; they are brothers and sisters with whom I have forged bonds I never thought possible. My transition from the Caribbean's single-season climate to Canada's multi-season climate has been simply a matter of adapting to the climate.

^{Wherever they may be, their spirit remains at HIVE. Photographs taken from publications made by them during their lifetime.}

The same thing happened to me at HIVE. When I created my account back in early January 2018, I never imagined I would find such warm people as those we have with us every day. Sadly, many of them are no longer with us: @sarita, @mllg, @fibra69, @josegilberto, @lecumberre…

But I celebrate those who are still there, physically and spiritually, on the other side, even though many of them have gone their separate ways, and we no longer hear them singing in my posts. Among my online connections on HIVE, I must mention: @silher, @castri-ja, @chironga676, @sacra97, @emiliorios, @issymarie2, @tarazkp, @rafaelaquino, @lanzjoseg, @freewritehouse, @manros11, @irenenavarroart, @carminasalazarte, and @layac13. There's someone I care about even though I haven't met him in person, but lately I've felt a bit distant from him: my friend @irvinc.

Mentioning those I care about on HIVE in this post isn't meant to get them to vote for it. I'd prefer a kind, sincere comment like the ones @sacra97 and @issymarie2 usually leave me—I appreciate them.

It's wonderful to feel loved and remembered from afar. Thanks to my friend Gaudris—from Caracas—for always staying in touch via Zoom and WhatsApp. He's been a longtime HIVE user, but hasn't posted in a while; his username is @lauril.

A former student who always writes to me is @atreyuserve; her real name is Leiny Colmenares, and she currently lives in Argentina. My sincerest greetings and a hug full of blessings goes out to her and her family, also Venezuelan immigrants.

Well, I've gone on a bit, but I just want to remind you that friendship is built day by day, nurtured by those little details we often overlook, like a simple “hello!” I'm the one who finds the true nature of my friends and family in their silence. Thank you for reading this post. A hug full of blessings on the eve of Christmas.

GEMS Community

^{#GEMS Community Cover.}