In first grade your idea of a good
friend was the person who went to
the bathroom with you and held your
hand as you walked through the scary halls.
In second grade your idea of
a good friend was the person who
helped you stand up to the class bully.
In third grade your idea of
a good friend was the person who
shared their lunch with you when you forgot
yours on the bus.
In fourth grade your idea of
a good friend was the person who was
willing to switch square dancing
partners in gym so you wouldn't have to be stuck
do-si-do-ing with Nasty Nick or Smelly
Susan.
In fifth grade your idea of
a friend was the person who saved a
seat on the back of the bus for you.
In sixth grade your idea of
a friend was the person who went up to
Nick or Susan, your new crush, and asked
them to dance with you, so that if
they said no you wouldn't have to be
embarrassed.
In seventh grade your idea
of a friend was the person who let you
copy the social studies homework from the
night before that you had.
In eighth grade your idea of
a good friend was the person who
helped you pack up your stuffed animals and
old baseball but didn't laugh at you
when you finished and broke out into
tears.
In ninth grade your idea of
a good friend was the person who would
go to a party thrown by a senior so you
wouldn't wind up being the only freshman there.
In tenth grade your idea of a good
friend was the person who changed their
schedule so you would have someone to
sit with at lunch.
In eleventh grade 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, and found
you a date to the prom.
In twelfth grade your idea
of a good friend was the person who
helped you pick out a college/university,
assured you that you would get into that
college/university, helped you deal
with your parents who were having a hard
time adjusting to the idea of letting
you go...
At graduation your idea of a
good friend was the person who was
crying on the inside but managed the
biggest smile one could give as they
congratulated you.
The summer after twelfth
grade your idea of a good friend was
the person who helped you clean up the
bottles from that party, helped you
sneak out of the house 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, helped you pack up
for university and just silently
hugged you as you looked through blurry eyes at
18 years of memories you were leaving
behind, and finally on those last days
of childhood, went out of their way to
give you reassurance that you would
make it in college as well as you had
these past 18 years, and most importantly
sent you off to college knowing you were
loved.
Now, your idea of a good friend is still the
person who gives you the better of the two
choices, holds 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!
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