What makes a good friend?

Anja Rotim, 2.c

Reliable, loyal, trustworthy, fun, honest – these qualities are usually associated with good
people to have around you, friends. Some people think good friends have a special bond which is
instantly there when you meet someone (something like the “spark” we may think of when
talking about love), yet some would say you build a friendship like any other relationship – with
a determined mind and hard work. In any case, friendships are defined as a human need for
connection and a need for affection we express through meeting people similar to us and sharing
time with the aforementioned.
We first start making friends at a young age. The best example is the start of
kindergarten. That is usually the time we are first left without parents in a room with many
strangers. We either feel anxious or happy to meet people. I never questioned the need to make
friends. Having to think about it, at first I didn’t quite understand how the first people on earth
made friends, how did they communicate, how weren’t they scared of what the other person is
thinking about, and not knowing what they might do next. Once I got into the why and how part
of friendship, I came to a conclusion – people started making friends because everything is easier
with another person there for you or at least there with you. When the first people on Earth had
to survive, I think they “met” others because they knew it would be easier to survive – go
hunting, take care of any future kids, fight off any animals that might attack them and similar
things. I assume they were scared before the initial interaction, but I think knowing that if they
were scared themselves, the other person must have been scared as well – should have helped
with the meeting part of the friendship. During the good, bad and gray parts of life, it’s nice to
have someone around – so you can celebrate the good, cry about the bad and try getting through
the gray together. If I were to fail a test, I know for a fact I wouldn’t be feeling great for a few
days, and it would be very hard to get back up. In that situation, having a person by your side
who will help you get up would make the failed test less bad.
A good friend is someone who you can turn to at any point in your life, who is willing to
be there for you and invests as much as you do in the friendship. I don’t think a friend is
necessarily somebody you never fight with, quite on the contrary – a good friend is someone
who will tell you when you are in the wrong and will tolerate your opinion but will also be
honest and express their own opinion with you even if you disagree. A really good friend is
someone who will make time for your problems and listen to you if you need them to. A good
friend is someone who makes talking to them feel like a safe place.