A Lesson on Friendship

The past few days have been a great lesson to me on how to be a good friend and what friendship really means. Since I was ten years old, I have always had this habit of analyzing people before allowing them to be close to me. Studying their behaviors, learning their strengths and weaknesses like a predator. Despite all this cautiousness, I have not managed to emerge from it unscathed. Life always has a way to pull you down especially during those moments you feel that nothing in the world can touch you. Call it pride, and as we know pride comes before a fall.

So, my fall came just a two days ago just when everything was going according to plan. I have always thought myself above retribution until I meet a young lady who much like myself, had a pension and liking to quite and deceptive silence. Naturally I was attracted to her, like two primal beings enchanted by our similar behavioral traits. I walked over to where she sat leaning against the wall. Before I reached her, she looked up and stared into my eyes and something about that stare erased all my confidence and I could feel a cold perspiration forming on my brow. I could feel my mouth start to run dry, it was as if her eyes were burning me down straight to the very core.

I hesitated slightly knowing that any word that would leave my mouth at that point would either go to destroying my chances or maybe postponing my shame. Either way nothing good was going to come from this. And I was right. The moment I shook her hand as I introduced myself, she was already bearing her soul to me. I felt so superior and my confidence returned ten-fold such that the way that the words formed in my mouth would have left William Shakespeare dazzled beyond measure. Everything was going according to plan until it was evening and she had to leave to head home.

I asked her if she would come and visit me the next day......her words are still etched in my mind till now. She looked into my eyes with those piercing, soul searching eyes and whispered to me.

 "Yes, i will. Next time I hope you will not be so afraid of me."

At this point I am sure most of you were anticipating the opposite reaction, but then again that is just our basic human instinct, always expecting the worst for others. Most of you are also wondering where is the lesson in friendship?

Most of the time when something bad happens to your friend, the first thing that comes to your mind is relief. You are grateful that it happened to your friend and not to you. When good things happen to them, jealousy invades our hearts and we wonder, why not us? Let us be good friends to one another especially during this fast approaching Christmas holiday. Put a smile on someones face today.