HEART EMOJI

I WAS SITTING AT the cluttered desk in my home office teaching an online class on my laptop when a text from my friend Annie popped up on my phone. “Can you give me a call this morning? It’s important,” it said.

Annie was a longtime friend, and I expected to hear from her daily. For the past couple of years, she and I—and our friend Kalen—had been sending each other a text whenever we meditated. Even though we lived hundreds of miles away from each other, we were close companions. Knowing that Annie and Kalen cared about my meditation efforts helped me stick to my practice, even when I was feeling uninspired.

Seconds after I saw Annie’s text, my mind darted back to the task at hand.