Friendship

[Mary Marguerite Ludwick <ludwick@TENET.EDU>]

 1.  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.

     2.  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.

     3.  In second grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped
    you stand up to the class bully.

     4.  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.

     5.  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.

     6.  In fifth grade your idea of a friend was the person who saved a seat
    on the back of the bus for you.

     7.  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.

     8.  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
          forgotten about.

     9.  In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped
          you pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball cards so that
          your room would be a "high schooler's" room, but didn't laugh at
you
          when you finished and broke out into tears.

     10.  In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went
           with you to that "cool" party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't
           wind up being the only freshman there.

     11.  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.

     12.  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.

     13.  In twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who
           helped you pick out a college, assured you that you would get into
           that college, helped you deal with your parents who were having a
           hard time adjusting to the idea of letting you go...

     14.  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.

     15.  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 through anything, helped you
            pack up for college 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 come over and send you off with a hug, a lot of memories,
           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.

     16.  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 even they are sad, helps you become
a better
            person, and most importantly loves you!




Mary Ludwick, MLS         Ludwick@tenet.edu
Librarian, B. B. Owen Elementary (grades K-5) A Blue Ribbon School
The Colony, Tx.   (about 30 miles north of Dallas, Texas)

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