Six years after the pandemic began, we're still trying to find the words for what we lost. Loneliness has quietly reshaped the way we move through the world — how we date, how we socialize, whether we talk to strangers at all. But something is shifting. People are lacing up for run clubs, swapping smartphones for screen-less phones, and showing up for each other in small, intentional ways. This is about what that means, and why proximity might be the most powerful thing we have.

What if the most powerful thing you could say to someone struggling is simply: I get it? This reflection on our national mental health campaign explores how empathy, connection, and collective care can shift the conversation and open the door to healing.