Who do you run to when you need someone to catch your fall? As we grow older we gain and lose friends, some for the better and some for the worse. This all makes us grow stronger and find the path to learn who you are. You meet those who are dependable, and then there are those who want to be your friend for their own benefit. How much do your friends mean to you? I believe that friends make you a better person.

My friends exceed. They build me up and give me support. “Friendship isn’t a big thing, its a million little things.” Many bumps come up in the road of your journey everyday, and I believe we find out who our friends are through crisis. I had a best friend, or thought I did, but when I needed her for one of the biggest stick in the mud of my life, she bailed for a boy. Turns out the true one ditched her sleepover to come home and stay with me. A friend can also tell you things you can’t tell yourself. They see through you and around you, and that’s what makes them a valuable gift.

Friends also open your mind to new things. What I sometimes forget is you have to be a good friend to earn good friends. Just like you, your friend doesn’t want to be let down. They need someone to step up for them and catch them when they’re sliding down a cliff. Friendship teaches you so many things. It gives you experiences so you can relate to others. It also shows you to not take things for granted, and gives you something to look forward to. Even as a high schooler, I’m running home every day to walk in the door of my best friend’s house. I know she’s the one to make me smile after a long day. Without her I’m not sure how long I would last.

A good friend to me is someone you makes you smile, tells you the truth no matter how much it hurts, and you can trust with your life. They influence my attitude, my thoughts, and my dreams. Why wouldn’t I want to choose them wisely? I knew before that I loved my friends; I just didn’t know how much I would change and grow because of them. I am who I am today because of the worst and best friends. I now know and believe that friends open your heart and mind to new things. You are just a caterpillar before your friends come and spread you wings. I understand people better and see their actions and feel what they’re going through. My best friend has opened my eyes. I’m finding who I am because of my experiences. I have an aim for who I want to be and who I don’t from people I have met through my life. I am so lucky to have such a great trust fall.

I believe that friends make up your other half. Until you truly know who you are, they fill that emptiness. I believe you don’t stop growing as a person until you die. There is always room for improvement. You will fail or you will succeed depending on the great support of your true friends. You can become the best of the best. Choose wisely.