Natasha’s Chronicles: Who is a Friend?

A friend is usually described as a person you know well and regard with affection and trust. I believe friendship plays a big role in determining who we are, our values, our joys or sorrows, even our decisions. But many times the people we call friends are simply acquaintances. However, a friend as I believe is more than an acquaintance, more than just an associate in your daily activities and conversation and the one who tells you only what you want to hear. I agree with the unknown poet who said ‘a friend isn’t one big thing. Its a million little things’. Priceless! Along my path, I have learnt to appreciate the people I believe God has granted me as friends: Those who have impacted my life, who have stuck by me, who know me and tolerate my nonsense. It hit my mind when I thought of a classmate I lost to extreme malaria while in senior one. I also think of all the friends that left and are still leaving for studies in different parts of the world. It was then that I learnt that we won’t always have people who are special to us all our lives. So we ought to let them know they’re special, they’re loved, that they’re funny (if they are), they’re cool, whatever you can do to remind them, when you part, that they left a footprint in your path; that when you’re not near each other, you’re still together in memory. Elisabeth Foley said, “The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” A good friend as I compiled, is one who is trustworthy and not afraid to tell you the truth however hard is, one who loves you not because they have to, but because they choose to, will stick around when things get tough, accept you and lend you an ear when you need to whine and complain as well as give you room to change when you need to. In a nutshell, they are loyal. I know you don’t disagree. Obviously, if they’re opposite, two things are involved; they are either a bad friend or nothing more than an acquaintance. If they are simply acquaintances, no problem, but if they are bad friends, two things are involved; they ruin you along with them or they become a burden to you. If they are a burden, we all have. But if they ruin you along, sadly there are too many things involved… you know what I mean. CS. Lewis said, “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… it has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” Finally, Albert Schweitzer remarked, “in everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It then bursts into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those who re-kindle our inner spirit.” The author is a S.5 student at Riviera High School. hozatash@hotmail.com