It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadnāt heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyoreās stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.
āHello Eeyore,ā said Pooh.
āHello Pooh. Hello Piglet,ā said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice.
āWe just thought weād check in on you,ā said Piglet, ābecause we hadnāt heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay.ā
Eeyore was silent for a moment. āAm I okay?ā he asked, eventually. āWell, I donāt know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? Thatās what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I havenāt bothered you. Because you wouldnāt want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now.ā
Pooh looked and Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.
Eeyore looked at them in surprise. āWhat are you doing?ā
āWeāre sitting here with you,ā said Pooh, ābecause we are your friends. And true friends donāt care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are.ā
āOh,ā said Eeyore. āOh.ā And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.
Because Pooh and Piglet were There. No more; no less.