I believe in friendship. I believe in the ups and downs of making and losing friends. I believe in the lessons that you learn from your friends and the acceptance that you feel when you have friends. On my first day of kindergarten I walked into the classroom and I was immediately surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Everyone already seemed to know one another and it felt like I was on the outside. I had come from a small preschool and I had been split up from all of my friends. Suddenly I had to make a fresh start.
I saw Maddie for the first time during recess. She was standing at the bottom of the slide all by herself, equally as lost as I was. Eager to make a new friend I bounded up to Maddie and asked her a simple question:
“Hi I’m Miko. Do you want to be my friend?” Maddie was very shy and managed to sheepishly squeak out one simple word.
“Yes.” Initially, she was too shy to talk to me but once she began to feel comfortable around me we became best friends. We did everything together until sixth grade when we were split up and sent to different middle schools. Once again I found myself having to make some new friends, the only difference this time being that several of my old friends were going with me and they would be there to help me through the overwhelming atmosphere of our new school.
I believe that everyone deserves to have friends. My friends keep me grounded and always support me. When I decided to join the local youth track club and to start running my best friend signed up with me. Throughout the four years that we ran together she never enjoyed running but she stuck with it because we were having so much fun doing it together. During my races I knew that she was there cheering me on so, I made sure that I was always there to support her.
I can be myself around my friends and we always have fun together. They never judge my appearance so I don’t have to put up an act just to impress them. Around them all that I have to be is me, plain and simple. Everyone deserves to be accepted because everyone deserves the strength and support provided by the strong bond with a friend.
Friendship is so important because being excluded is the worst feeling in the world. When people intentionally leave you out you feel like you are the one who has done something wrong. Some of my friends make plans with one another while I am in the room with them. I feel hurt when I know that I am not included; however, I know that my friends don’t necessarily see the way that their actions make me feel. Friends are not perfect, but I believe that they are one of the most important assets a person ca