Q: Hopefully you're in a male-female friendship in which being more than friends isn't an issue, whether because you're just not attracted to each other or because you're in other relationships; however, if it's not clear to both of you that you're just friends, you'll need to directly talk through how each of you sees the relationship. Acknowledge that it's easy to confuse feelings of being close to and loving a friend with thinking you may be romantically interested. The lines can be easily blurred. Ask him directly how he feels, particularly if you've noticed any interest or flirting on his part. You may say, "I really value our friendship and enjoy your company. I only want us to be friends, but I'm worried you're feeling differently. How do you feel about that?" He may not really be interested in you, or he may acknowledge that he has been attracted to you or flirting with you. Whatever his response, listen with respect and empathy. Listening is essential if you want to understand each other and maintain your friendship. Hear his concerns, avoid interrupting him, and try not to judge. If your friend is interested in you, you can let him down easily by acknowledging his feelings, being brief, and being honest. Don't change your feelings just to please him. Acknowledge your friend's feelings and thank him for being vulnerable. You can say, "It sounds like you're interested in me and I really appreciate your honesty about that." Make your point gently and clearly about wanting to stay just friends. You can say, "I like you as a friend and want to keep our friendship the way it is." Once you've established your feelings, help your friend feel more comfortable. Acknowledge the awkwardness, compliment him, and express hope in the strength of your friendship. You could say, "I know this is awkward, but we've been friends for a long time. You're an awesome guy and I know we'll bounce back from this." Keep in mind to give him time if he needs it. If he was truly interested in you, he may need some time and space to process the rejection.
A: Talk through each other's feelings. Listen to his response. Be clear. End the conversation on a positive note.

Q: Poison sumac typically grows into a shrub or tree about 520 ft (1.56 m) in height, but may occasionally grow even taller. The branches may or may not be covered with leaves along their length, but either way the growth pattern of poison sumac tends to produce a fairly open result, rather than a thick bush of foliage. Before poison sumac grows into a full sized shrub or tree, it may be relatively upright, with small branches with red stems growing along the entire height of the trunk. In this case, its leaves and branches usually have a noticeable upward tilt, especially near the top of the tree. Poison sumac has a pinnate leaf structure, meaning that each stem has two parallel rows of leaves growing along its length. Each stem usually has between six and twelve leaves, plus an additional single leaf at the end. Young stems are typically red or red-brown, but this color may fade to brown or grey as the plant ages. Technically, the leaves of a pinnate leaf are called leaflets, but these look like an ordinary leaf, roughly 24 inches (510 cm) long. The leaves of this plant have an oval or oblong shape, tapering to a wedge or point on each end. The sides of the leaf may appear wavy or smooth, but will not have the jagged "tooth" appearance of some non-poisonous sumac trees. Poison sumac is deciduous, so the leaves change color throughout the year. Newly grown spring leaves may be bright orange, becoming light green during spring and summer, changing to red during autumn, then falling off the plant entirely. The underside of poison sumac leaves, at any time of year, may be either smooth or hairy, making it a poor way to identify the plant. Warning: The fallen leaves may still be poisonous to the touch. Never burn leaves or wood collected near a poison sumac tree, as inhaling poison sumac smoke can be dangerous or even fatal. During the spring and summer, poison sumac may have pale yellow or green flowers. These small flowers grow in clusters along their own, green stems, separate from the red leafy stems. During summer or fall, the plant may have replaced its flowers with small green or yellow berries. Over the course of the fall and winter, these will mature into clusters of white and grey berries, hanging down on stems up to 12 inches (30 cm) long. If the berries are red, and the rest of the plant fits the description above, the plant is most likely a non-poisonous member of the sumac family. The berries may be eaten by animals or fall off naturally during winter. Do not assume they will always be present. Poison sumac is still poisonous without its leaves, but it can be much harder to identify. If you're lucky, it will still have hanging clusters of white or pale yellow berries which you can use as a warning sign. After the first few weeks of winter, however, you are more likely to see thin, empty stems hanging from the branches, similar in appearance to light brown grape stems. Identifying the poisonous bark of poison sumac can be difficult once all the foliage and berries have fallen off. Use the habitat section below to know which areas sumac may grow in, and steer clear of any trees with rough, grey bark.
A: Look for a sparse shrub or tree. Watch for small plants with upward pointing leaves. Look for double rows of leaves on each stem. Recognize the leaf shape of poison sumac. Learn the other attributes of the leaf. Identify poison sumac flowers. Identify the berries. Check for white berries or empty berry stems in winter. Avoid grey bark found in poison sumac habitat.

Q: Hand gestures can be a way to add more force to what you're saying. These are often known as "illustrative gestures." It can be used to convey intensity, confidence, and even be used to garner attention to a point you're trying to make. Use a solid shaking fist to knock home an extremely important point you're trying to make. Be careful to not use an irritated voice to accompany it or it can come off as anger. If you are giving a presentation, use your hand to highlight a particular paragraph or slide that contains important information. Pointing can be used to literally make a point , or to accompany something like, "This one's important," or "Let me tell you." It can also be used as playful gesture to acknowledge someone. Be careful about pointing directly at someone, though, as this can come off as rude or even aggressive. Make sure your hand gestures match up to your speech. Do not try to add emphasis to a point that is not worth emphasizing, or add force to a point that is not meant to be forceful. Whether you're speaking in front of a large group of people or one individual, hands facing up usually invite positive responses from people. Combined with an outstretching of your arms, it can communicate effectiveness, acceptance, and trustworthiness. If you use this gesture with a shrugging of the shoulders it can give off a feeling of uncertainty, so you will also want to monitor other parts of your body, too. Palms down typically gives others a feeling of confidence because they give you an aura of confidence or even dominance. Much like hands up front can show defensiveness, hands behind the back with an exposed torso shows confidence. This is especially an effective hand gesture if you are walking side-by-side with someone and communicating with them. This demonstrates that you are open to making yourself vulnerable, and not worried about protecting yourself with your hands. This gesture is especially useful to gain someone's trust.
A:
Use hand gestures to add emphasis to speech. Use open hands and palms up for a positive effect. Keep hands behind your back to show confidence.