Your Idea of a Good Friend

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 Nicky 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 Nicky 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 Glenn] 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! 

Pass on to those friends of the past, and those of the future...and 
those you have met along the way... 

[crying yet? oh there's more] 

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. 

You know who you are, pass it on to someone who you want to remind. 
So send this to all your friends and maybe those who aren't but just 
watch and see who sends it back. 

If you love someone, tell them. Remember always to say what you mean. 
Never be afraid to express yourself. Take this opportunity to tell 
someone what they mean to you. Seize the day and have no regrets. 
Most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for they 
have helped make you the person that you are today and are what it's 
all about anyway. Pass this along to your friends. Let it make a 
difference in your day and theirs. 

The difference between expressing love and having regrets is that 
the regrets may stay around forever. 

THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT TO YOU BECAUSE YOU MEAN SOMETHING TO 
SOMEBODY. PLEASE SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND THOSE THAT YOU LOVE. 
GROWING UP, YOU WILL TRULY MEET THE FRIENDS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME 
AND WILL MEAN THE MOST TO YOU. YOUR FRIENDS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR 
YOU. KEEP YOUR FRIENDSHIPS ALIVE, SEND THIS TO A FRIEND.