Friends Are Forever

• 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.



• 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.



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



• 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.



• 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.



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



• 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 withy you, so
  that if they said no you wouldn't have to be embarrassed.



• 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.



• 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.



• 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.



• 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.



• 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.



• 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...



• 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.



• 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 an 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.



• Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives
  you the better of the two choices, hold 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 they are sad, helps you
  become a better person, and most importantly ... loves you!