Whenever someone close asked me “how are you”, I’d take it seriously. I’d take it for granted that they wanted to hear it all. I’d assume that they have the time to hear everything. I would share tidbits of what's going well and a sneak peek at what's challenging for me. I would anticipate them to care, validate, and listen. Over time, I began to notice that I often receive one-line or one-word responses when I ask the same question. It felt like a lost opportunity or a meaningless exchange with minimal connection. I spent some time building up scenarios in my imagination, blaming myself, and doubting both relevant and irrelevant factors. It took me a really long time to identify the errors in my automatic thoughts. Once I started catching these errors, it made more sense and helped me navigate better on most days. I always began my letters to my grandparents and other family members back home with "how are you?" and then gave a full-fledged narrative of "how I...