Daily Writing Prompt: Has your idea of what makes a good friend changed as you’ve gotten older?
Ever since I can remember I have always been surrounded by a large group of friends.
In early childhood I remember spending summer nights with my three best friends. We would roam the boardwalk, eating snacks and messing with the surrey bike drivers.lol
In high school my friend group became more like a family. It was quite large. We had about four inner circles within the larger group. In the friend group, there were three sister, we all would spend almost every other weekend at my their house. Their mother would host all of us, she enjoyed having us around and getting us involved in different activities. That was my first time recording a podcast.
My friends’ mother asked me and four others if we would be interested in talking about some topics and recording it for their Sunday School. We all agreed and it was a great experience. We recorded 3 episodes. It was popular but soon after we stopped. I had a particular opinion and apparently many of the youth were starting to agree with my alternative views. 🤣
Everywhere I found myself in life, I found myself surrounded by friend’s who became family.
From my time in JobCorps, (what an interesting time 😭😅)…The lifelong friendships formed.
To my adventures with my Union brothers and sisters and the family I gained from that experience. Paul, being like a surrogate father figure, and Dwayne, the big brother I never had. The people I have met in my life have had a great impact on the person I am today.
Growing older I realized friends become your family but also a friend is someone who is there when needed. Someone who can share a random act of kindness when someone needs it the most.
I live in a diversed community. There are at least three main languages spoken here and English is not #1. I mention that to say, the atmosphere is not typical for the area and also there are a lot of language barriers sometimes.lol
The scenery is almost whimsical. A place where all the children are always outside playing. In fact, most people here spend most of their day outside, me included.
The other day I went on a walk to the shopping center next to our apartments. There’s a trail through the woods you can take but you have to squeeze through the fence to avoid walking all the way around the apartments lol. As I approached, two of my neighbors were passing through, however, the older lady got stuck and couldn’t make it through.
She began to panic.
Assessing the situation, I jumped in, grabbed the iron bars and pulled them back. She was struggling so I started motivating her to push through and that she could do it and her daughter joined in.
Finally! She made it through, we all high fived and went on our way…
Today, as I was walking Bartosz, she stopped me and went inside her home. She came back with dog treats, vitamins, and a new harness. I thanked her greatly and went on with my day.
This happens a lot where I live.
People love the animals and most of them roam freely. The cats and dogs play with one another. One thing I hate very much but have grown to accept, the people here throw their bones out for the dogs and so Bartosz feels like he’s living in Wonkaland. I get the gesture and it is a nice sentiment but ugh…🤣
As I was walking one day, a man told me to wait and came back with dog vitamins. Another time, a man stopped me, told me he made fresh dog food and came back with a free three day serving.
One time as I was walking, a lady gave me a brand new pair of sneakers that just so happen to be my perfect size.lol
It is sort of a magical place where everyone looks out for one another which made me realize…
Friendship is another form of community. You never know the impact you may have on someone even in the smallest of moments.
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