The Small Issue of Friends

As teenagers, our friends mean everything to us. My friends are like a huge support network around me, and I know that I would be completely and utterly lost without them. However, friends can build you up, and then completely knock you down by doing something that really hurts you. Friends can be a major cause of stress in our lives.

I admit that in the past I have done some pretty bad things to my friends. I don't want to go into detail, but I know that there was one time in my life, where I compulsively lied to one of my best friends about a particular thing that was going on in my life. I span a big story to cover up what was truly going on, and this carried on for a while. But like most liars do, I got found out. She was devastated that I had done that to her, and that I wasn't able to tell her the truth. It took a while of talking, and explaining the truth, but she actually forgave me. She didn't just half-heartedly forgive me, but she completely forgave me. I am so thankful that she did, because at that time I really needed my friends to keep me on the right track. I knew from this experience that she was one of the truest friends ever, and she would support me no matter what.

They say, 'what goes around comes around' and I have found this saying to be surprisingly true. Quite recently a girl who I considered to be one of  my best friends, strung me a load of lies. I believed her, because well, why I wouldn't I? I went against my other friends and stuck up for her because I believed everything she told me. Well, when it came out that it was all lies I was really upset, and it completely shattered my naturally trusting personality. I was angry for a while, and didn't talk to her, but then I realised that she had only done the exact same thing that I had done a few years back. I talked to her and told her that I forgave her, admitting that I too had been guilty of doing the same thing. She opened up to me, and told me some of the things that were going on in her life. I wanted to be there for her and support her, just as my other friends had done for me.

So I guess that I just wanted to try and show you that friends are one of the most important things we have, and even though sometimes friendship hurts, if you work at it, it can be so worth it. If you give up on your friends each time something bad happens, then don't complain when people give up on you when you make a mistake. And also remember your past mistakes too. Nobody's perfect, and we all mess up.