I'm Maggie Smith, and this is the slowdown.

My friends have saved my life, time and time again.

That's not hyperbole.

I mean it.

You can save someone's life by applying pressure to a wound or performing CPR, but you can also

save someone's life by loving them, by just being with them

so they're not alone. You can save someone's life by giving them a sense of belonging and hope.

Solid friendships can do that. During a difficult time in my life, one friend and I would regularly go out dancing and to see live music together. Another friend and I would roller skate and have happy hours on her front porch. When my marriage ended and I felt squeezed financially,

my friend Victoria in L.A. hired me to teach.

I couldn't afford to take my kids on a vacation that summer,

but my friend Lisa in Chicago said,

come visit and bring the kids, and you can all stay at our

house. That's now become an annual tradition we all look forward to. Friends also recommended

doctors, lawyers, therapists, financial advisors, tax preparers, contractors, handymen, and babysitters.

As a newly single mom who was trying to juggle a lot with little free time, this logistical help was invaluable.

When I lost my joy, my generous friends were there.

It can be so hard to accept help from others, especially if you pride yourself on being

self-sufficient, but I took them up on their offers of meals and company and advice.

And I'm so glad I did because these things were all lifesaving.

All of these things, in their own ways, helped me close some wounds.

All in their own ways restarted my heart.

Today's poem is a love letter to life-saving friendships.

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