I had an experience with a friend recently that caused me to realize that I had been taking his friendship for granted. I had let myself argue with him needlessly over small things, such as what we thought about a certain preview to a movie. I let myself become more critical instead of complimenting, assuming that our friendship was strong enough that he would not mind so much. We had known each other for so long and were best friends, so I assumed that nothing could go wrong. I thought that he had already accepted me, so I did not need to try so hard at being a good friend. I was selfish, expecting him to reassure me about every little thing, while I did hardly anything for him.
I did not even realize what I had been doing until he said he had decided to distance himself from me because he couldn’t take it anymore. I realized then that to have a truly good friendship, one must always do something to show the friend that he or she cares about that friend, and always refrain from being mean; not just at the beginning of the relationship, but always.
I have decided that every time I interact with my friends, I will say or do something to show them that I care, whether it be giving them a compliment, comforting them if they are having a hard time, or simply laughing and enjoying spending time with them instead of finding things to tease them about.
I have still kept in contact with the friend I mentioned at first. Since the day he told me he had had enough and needed a break, I have been diligently working towards my goal of being a good friend. Every time I feel tempted to tease or argue with him, I have not let myself give in, not once. When he asked, I gave him advice about a girl he wants to date, while reassuring him that he was doing a good job. In the past week, our relationship is being slowly, but surely, repaired. I will keep my goal of being a better friend for the rest of my life since it is making me (and my friends) much happier.
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