In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person
who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.
In primary school your idea of a good friend was the person
who went to the bathroom with you; held your hand as you walked through the
scary halls; helped you stand up to the class bully; shared their lunch with
you when you forgot yours on the bus; saved a seat on the back of the bus for
you; knew who you had a crush on and never understood why.
In secondary school your idea of a good friend was the
person who let you copy their homework; went to that "cool" party
with you so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshie there; did not let you
lunch alone.
In pre-university your idea of a good friend was the person
who gave you rides in their new car; convinced your parents that you shouldn't
be grounded; consoled you when you broke up with Nick or Susan; found you a
date to the prom or went to the prom with you both without dates; helped you
pick a university and assured you that you would get into that university;
helped you deal with your parents who were having a hard time letting you go.
On the threshold of adulthood your idea of a good friend was
the person who was there when you just couldn't deal with your parents; assured
you that now that you and Nick or you and Susan were back together, you could
make it through anything; just silently hugged you as you looked through blurry
eyes at 18 years of memories; and reassured you that you would make it in
university as well as you had these past 18 years; and most importantly sent
you off to university knowing you were loved.
Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who
gives you the better of the two choices, hold your hand when you're scared,
helps you fight off those who try to take advantage of you, thinks of you at
times when you are not there, reminds you of what you have forgotten, helps you
put the past behind you but understands when you need to hold on to it a little
longer, stays with you so that you have confidence, goes out of their way to
make time for you, helps you clear up your mistakes, helps you deal with
pressure from others, smiles for you when they are sad, helps you become a
better person, and most importantly loves you!
Friendship is a relationship between two people who hold
mutual affection for each other. The value of friendship is often the result of
friends consistently demonstrating;
the tendency to desire what is best for the other,
Sympathy and empathy is a must,
Honesty beyond any doubts, even in situations where it may
be difficult for others to speak the truth
Mutual understanding and compassion; ability to go to each
other for emotional support
Enjoyment of each other's company
Trust in one another
Positive reciprocity — equal give-and-take between the two
parties
The ability to be oneself, express one's feelings and make
mistakes without fear of judgement
Friends don't have to be exactly the same. Friends have
similarities but they also have their differences. They key to opening up the
world of friendship is not only to expand on similarities but to accept each
other's faults.
Friends have to argue! No one likes to but it is necessary
to be healthy. Cause if you agree on everything, either the government has
expanded cloning subjects or someone isn't being true and is trying a little
too hard.
Just remember, friends are forever, but only if you keep it
that way. Don't ditch your buds, love them instead. And when they drive you
nuts, love them that much more for being just a little bit different and maybe
just a little bit quirky!
I've learned that there are many good friends around, but
true best friends are hard to come by.
Thank you for being a friend.
No matter where we go or who we become, never forget who
helped us get there.
There's never a wrong time to pick up a phone or send a
message telling your friends how much you miss them or how much you love them.
ps/smoh
5/9/2012
