Check in on your people

I started teaching yoga seven years ago. I had not really built a large friend group yet as we had just moved to Colorado about a year prior. Considering I spend a lot of time on my mat and teaching others, many of my friends have a connection of some sort to yoga or my yoga classes.

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This is specifically about one friend though. Matt. He had only attended a few yoga classes in his life until he came to my class with his wife. Now, he often shows up without her. In his words he said, “I feel super blessed to have you as a friend. It’s another one of those life’s ‘I didn’t see that coming” moments.

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I share all that to share why I am the one that is super blessed to have met Matt. He is a pilot and I asked him to help me book a one way ticket to Germany. Gladly willing to help he was a bit hesitant as we recently (I unknowingly) had an acquaintance who had a one way trip booked to South America who ended up committing suicide, Matt says, “Should I be concerned that you are making a one way trip to Munich?”

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We decided to meet for coffee to catch up on all the things in life and he told me why he asked that question.

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To anyone wondering, my mental health is peak! I am doing great, life is perfect, every moment has something to offer and I feel blessed to be where I am at.

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The gravitas of why Matt was asking me that question didn’t sink in until I was sitting in my truck after our coffee date.

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It is people like Matt that save lives. It is asking the uncomfortable questions. It is understanding that life catches us all of guard and it’s ok to check in on the people we care about the most.

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Check in on your people. Check in on your friend that is “always ok” and smiling. Check in on your Combat Veteran friends (you have WAY MORE of these than you know - we spent the last 20 years at war). Pick up the phone, shoot a text, schedule a coffee date.

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Be like Matt and if you have a Matt in your life, thank them! Then, go be the best fucking version of yourself that you can be. You owe it to yourself. The world is better because you are here.