Life Lessons

I was only six when my sister left for college. As her nerves were building when she was preparing to move out, it seems everyone had some sort of advice for her. One of these helpful hints is perhaps the best life lesson I have ever learned. A saying my grandma often said was, "To have a friend, you have to be a friend." Although I didn't realize it at the time, my grandmother's simple yet wise cliché is something I will have with me for the rest of my life.

This powerful phrase is a motto that I do my best to follow. Whenever I don't know how to handle a situation, I can turn to this lesson, and my life becomes clearer. As I have grown older, I have realized how much an easy task such as being a friend can impact my life and the lives of people around me. Sometimes all people need is someone to be there, through thick and thin, including me. A friend will cheer me up on a bad day and laugh with meon a good day. A friend will be there for me when times are rough. And the best way to have someone there for me is to be there for them.