can i come sit on your rug?

My friend’s decision in college to buy a rug for her dorm room wasn’t solely an aesthetic choice. While it’s purchase was an attempt to decorate the stark, white box room of our student accommodation, the rug was also intended as a gift to us – her friends.

During another pandemic lockdown, the combined stress of COVID, the isolating nature of our studies, and the scarcity of communal spaces made the rug our refuge. The phrase ‘Can I come and sit on your rug?’ quickly became our way of expressing the need for some company. In response, her door would be left open, and we would arrive with our work to gather on the rug for an hour or so.

Amidst the constraints of social distancing and the constant awareness of intruding on other’s space, the rug created a unique duality – a space where we could gather without infringing on each other’s personal space or disrupting each other’s work. Its presence didn’t necessarily foster deep conversations but offered a space for us to sit together and share in silent company.
Reflecting on this gesture now, I think about how we shape our environments to accommodate these shared moments of quiet togetherness. Whether it’s placing a cushion, opening a door, adding a chair, or rearranging a desk to work side by side, these adjustments go beyond mere convenience. They are invitations, signaling that there is a space for others in those moments when we seek reassurance through having the ones we love close by.

Now, as I sit writing this on my own rug, thousands of miles from that college dorm, I am increasingly aware of how we adapt our spaces to nurture our relationships. These seemingly modest alterations—though often overlooked—are among the most sincere and rewarding expressions of love.