Writing
Introduction
Hi everyone, I’m Sammi Li. Welcome to Between Friends.
This is a collection of stories about a Chinese girl growing up across different places, cultures, and stages of life—through her friendships. Here, you’ll find real moments: some warm, some blurred, some stinging, and some I still haven’t quite figured out.
I write these pieces for those who, like me, are learning how to navigate friendship. This is for those who have felt close to someone, then distant, then unsure of what remains.
This isn’t a guide to life, and I don’t have standard answers. I’m simply trying to make sense of what friendship has meant to me over the past twenty-three years: the quiet presence that endures across time, the blurred boundaries between emotions, the shadows of jealousy, the distance that comes with growing up, and the search for something that still feels like home.
These stories move through different states of friendship. Some stay, some shift, and some slowly fade. But together, they form a way of understanding how we hold on to people, and how we learn to let go.
I hope that somewhere within these moments, you may also find your own definition of friendship.
When She Fell for Her:
A Story of Sincerity and BraveryHow to Define the Best Friendship