Keep the friend who notices when you go quiet in the chat. That’s rarer than the one who sends memes.

Noticing an absence takes more attention than filling a space. Anyone can be present when things are lively, but tracking that someone has gone quiet requires holding them in mind when they are not there. That is a rarer form of care, and it tends to be the kind that shows up when something is actually wrong.

Think about who has done that for you and tell them you noticed them noticing. Then try being that person for someone else this week. Reaching out to the one who has gone quiet costs one message and is sometimes the only one they get.