Looking back, it seems clear, if not obvious: companionship can be absolutely essential for finding the way to calm and peace.

I can see where it's happened over and over in my past, I just didn't consciously realize at the time what was happening inside me or how it was a reaction the external condition of being with a person I cared about and trusted.

Learning more about things which bring on feelings of anxiety has also led me to discover things which do the opposite. Being the misanthrope I am, it's a bit of a surprise to realize people do not just the first, but also the second.

I'm lucky to have small handful of people in my life who, whether they know it or not, make it significantly better for them being in it.