What is a friend?
This is something I've been pondering for quite some time.
Friendship is something very unique and very special. I know this really well from personal experience.
I've seen the devastation that you can cause, the pain and hurt you can instill by not being a good friend; I've also been blessed with amazing friends, and know what it's like to have them there to encourage you.
Most of my life I've been a pretty horrible friend. Recently I've changed my ways, or at least I'd like to think so. One day I wrote down everything I thought a friend should be, and this is what I came up with...
A Friend is someone who...
Is always there, no matter what,
Cheers for you when you succeed,
Sympathizes when you don't,
Helps you through the hard times,
Listens when you need someone to talk to,
Encourages you when you're down,
Finds the person who caused you pain and kills them... (maybe not quite)
Is someone who knows the song of your heart, and sings it when you forget the words,
Can put a smile on your face just by existing,
Gives you the best memories of your life,
Corrects you when correction is needed,
Tells you the truth,
Hides the truth when it shouldn't be told,
Is a great example,
Makes you want to be a better person,
But most importantly, Draws you closer to God
These are a few of the things I think a friend should be. Friends are more influential than we often realize.
Think about it, I bet you'll notice that you've picked up quite a few of the mannerisms that your friend have.
It's natural to become more like the people you look up to, who are the best examples to you, and who are closest to you. This means, you'd better pick your friends well. And don't get me wrong, nobody's perfect, but a good friend is the one who overlooks your flaws, and praises and looks up to your strengths.
For most of my life I haven't been this kind of friend. But I've been trying to be there, to encourage, to help, and most importantly to try to help you draw closer to God. Even though I may stumble about it in my own awkward way just know I'll always be there, no matter what you need. As cheesy as it may sound it's kind of like that one song "You've got a friend in me" Cause really, you do.
But probably the biggest thing I've noticed, is that we often don't tell people how much they mean to us. When was the last time you told someone how much they meant to you?
Being a home-schooled guy I especially struggle with this part, but there's a lot of people out there who don't know exactly how much they mean to me, or to you, cause sometimes we take our friends for granted.
So here's my challenge for you. Tell somebody how much they mean to you. And when I say this I don't mean just send someone a text or something just because I asked you to, tell someone because they are awesome, and because they should know.
Friendship, it's a big deal folks it means a heck of a lot more to others than you'll ever know
So looking towards the future, I will strive to be a better friend, Won't you join me?
I'm Josh Hoover, and that's my 2 cents
