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 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!
Thank you for being a friend.
Author
Unknown
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