How to be a good friend - Delta Collegiate

By Grace Miller

New Year’s is coming up, and one resolution this year is for kids to expand their friend circle. I
have been through so many friends in my life, and I am only 18! Friends come and go, but
sometimes we find the right people at the most inconvenient time. I remember just going through
so many different friend groups because I just did not “click” with people. Seriously, I thought it
was hopeless! Finally, this year I found the right people, and I instantly knew they would
be good friends.
I always thought it was me throughout the years, and I realized it was not. Sometimes it just
does not work, and that is fine! After every friend group, I did learn how to be a better
friend. I learned that sometimes it is not your fault and forgive them if they did something
wrong. I know it is hard to forgive people who may have done something pretty damaging, but I
try to look at all the things they taught me. Even though some of my friendships did not
work out, I learned some valuable things about being a good friend worth sharing!

Eight ways to be a good friend

Really Listen to your friend. Listening to your friend helps you find out what
they really need from you, even if they go on forever.
Be Yourself. Always be yourself because you want them to like you for you and
vice versa. You want them to really get to know you and have real friends who
like you for your true authentic self.
Be Honest. Always be honest, people do not like it when you lie to them. It also
normally ruins the friendship. Honesty is always the best policy because you
don’t want them to catch you in a lie and not be friends with you anymore. Be
honest about how you are feeling and with anything, so then you can build the
trust between you two.
Trust. This one was hard for me, but trust them. Sometimes, I feel like they are
going to ditch or are mad at me. Trust them. If you trust them and they trust you
then you know that they are always going to be there.
Be There. I am not saying be a stalker, but be there for them when they need it.
Be there through their happy moments and their sad moments. Be there when they
most need you because I am sure they will appreciate it.
Make memories. Always make good memories with them because I know
through every friendship I am filled with all these good memories, that I will
cherish even if the friendship did not work out.
Laugh with them. Laughter always makes everything. Being a good friend is not
always being there in their lows, but also telling them and being there during the
most exciting highs. Laughing with them always helps to be a good friend.
Have fun and cherish them. When I am with my friends, I have the most fun and
I truly look at life in the most positive way because I am thankful for them every
moment of every day.
There are truly many ways to be a good friend but if you follow these eight things, then I
guarantee you will be a great friend!