In my own life experience, a message I have received through various areas of my life has been that it can be unsafe to have friendships of the opposite sex. Whether that's because it's impossible to be friends with a guy without it turning into a romantic or sexual relationship, or because it's not appropriate to be close friends with a man who's married, these messages can lead us to believe that ourselves and others are ultimately untrustworthy and that we need to proceed with fear or strict boundaries in order to have these relationships. I know that's not everyone's experience, but my hope in sharing this is to highlight the necessity and beauty of having friendships of all genders that are able to hold great intimacy and closeness without the end outcome always needing to be a romantic relationship. As I've gotten to witness the healing and life-giving benefits of those friendships in my life, I wanted to express gratitude for what they've meant to me, and encourage others to seek out a varied community for their own lives as well.