Friendship

Dear Readers,

            One thing I value greatly is true friendship. A good friend is hard to find. From my experience, I have come to conclude that one person only has around 3 to 5 real friends. This does not mean that everyone else is horrible, but only a handful will treat you as a good friend.

            Something my dad would tell me is that he was proud of my choice of friends. I didn’t always pick good ones, but the malicious ones never really lasted longer than a week or two. The ones that just weren’t really friends lasted longer, but they never got me into deep trouble. The thing I learned is that, despite there being only a small few you can truly trust, you can still be respectful and friendly to all the others. You just need to keep in mind how much you really can depend on them.

            You probably have heard “be careful who your friends are.” The reason you might have heard is “because they may get you into trouble” but there is a deeper reasoning. I tell you to be careful with who make friends with because “a friend is another self.” Before, you became friends based off a common interest. As you hang around your friends, you become more like each other, either adapting or strengthening the habits and ideas that define you.

            There are two ways in which someone is considered a good friend. The first is the one does the same things as you or respects your wishes. The second is a good person who will criticize you when needed, who helps you out, supports you in your time of need, encourages you to do the right thing, and will risk his life for you. The best friends fall under the second category. It isn’t necessary that you enjoy all the same things, but that you both look out for each other’s well-being and virtue.

             So I write to you, my readers, to encourage you to find a true friend, but even more so to be a good friend. We may not always be able to find a good friend, but we can set the example to be one. After we show the world what it means to be a good friend, then more will appear.

N. D. Moharo