IJMC - For a Good Friend

Ben, Patrick, Caitlin, Cathy, Tori, Tom, Derek, Michael, Joe, and Deirdre, 
this is for you.                                                     -dave




  Friends through the years.....

1. 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.

2. 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.

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

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

8. 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.

9. In eigth 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 in tears.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. In elventh 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.

13. 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....

14. 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.

15. 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 and 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 year, and most importantly sent you off
    to college knowing you were loved.

16. Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the
    better of the two choices, hold your hand when your 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 me become a better person, and most importantly loves you.!

    Yes, whether I've known you since kindergarten or I just
    met you a couple months ago, YOU truly are MY idea of a GOOD FRIEND.


    (pass this on to ONLY those you consider to be your GOOD FRIEND, for
    in this crazy, ever-changing, unreliable world, only these people are
    worthy of your praise!)