{"id":13563,"date":"2026-03-19T07:02:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T11:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/?p=13563"},"modified":"2026-03-19T08:13:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T12:13:15","slug":"the-surprising-truth-how-my-friends-actually-see-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/es\/2026\/03\/19\/the-surprising-truth-how-my-friends-actually-see-me\/","title":{"rendered":"The Surprising Truth How My Friends Actually See Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

And How I See Myself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One word. That\u2019s it. One word to describe me\u2026 and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had to choose one word for myself, I think it would be sentimental<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not about holding onto things for the sake of it. It’s about feeling everything a little longer than most. Like the moments. The people. And the conversations that probably didn\u2019t mean as much to anyone but me. But they’ve stayed with me through good times and bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe that\u2019s why I asked the question to a handful of close friends as well. After all, they have stayed with me through those same times as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rick<\/a>
Rick Ollie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Friends Take<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One word.
That\u2019s it. One word to describe me\u2026 and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answers came back from fiends who know me in different ways. From different times and versions of who I\u2019ve been and have become. Here are their responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resilient<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dani:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because even with everything you\u2019ve carried\u2014health, heartbreak, all of it\u2014you didn\u2019t shut down or disappear. You kept feeling, kept writing, kept putting pieces of yourself out there for people to connect to. That\u2019s not just surviving\u2026 that\u2019s choosing to keep going with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kind, Strong and Big Heart ‘ed’<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lily:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liz:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kind big heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emee:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong -n- Kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Warrior<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vinu:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A true Warrior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thoughtful<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jen:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because you are kind and empathetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tara:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are always thinking of everyone around you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generous<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tammy: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For always seeking to amplify other (mostly women\u2019s) voices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forgiving<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Loren: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had to pause. Not because it surprised me. It made me think about how often I let things go. Sometimes, they probably stayed with me longer than I admitted. – Rick<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good-Natured<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nadiia: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A word I\u2019m not sure I always see in myself but maybe that\u2019s how this works. Learning from what others see inside you. – Rick<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unyielding <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Agnes: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because no matter what life has thrown at you – your illness, heartbreak, everything – you never gave up or let it change the person you are. You kept going, and you stayed kind through it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vulnerable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jan:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through your honest, raw, deep writing, you open yourself up to emotional harm or attacks\u2026you become vulnerable\u2026to criticism, to hurt, to even more heartache.\u00a0\u00a0But you don\u2019t hold back.\u00a0\u00a0The world is tough.\u00a0\u00a0Vulnerability is not a weakness, but rather proves your emotional literacy<\/em>, Rick, which is something I admire within you.\u00a0\u00a0Deeply ingrained societal conditioning frequently equates masculinity only with strength, stoicism, and emotional suppression.\u00a0\u00a0Yet through your blog, you are willing to be open, to be vulnerable, to be \u201creal\u201d and \u201ctrue,\u201d taking risks by revealing your innermost thoughts and feelings.\u00a0\u00a0Rest assured, your needs DO matter.\u00a0\u00a0YOU MATTER.\u00a0\u00a0Your health is precarious right now.\u00a0\u00a0You are deserving of special care, support, and protection \u2014 especially during this susceptible time.\u00a0\u00a0My wish for you is that you receive these things through a generous amount of comfort and LOVE from many sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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