The friend who waits while you finish your sentence, even when you stumble, is giving you something rare: time.

Being allowed to finish is rarer than it should be. Most conversation is a queue of people waiting to talk, and someone who lets a pause sit while you find the word is handing over something they cannot get back. It tells you that you are worth the extra thirty seconds.

Do it for someone this week: let the silence run, do not finish their sentence, do not jump in with your version of the story. It is harder than it sounds and people feel it immediately. Then notice which of your friends already does this for you, and tell them you noticed.