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.

9.  In eighth 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 into tears.

 

10.  In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person
who went 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 eleventh 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 it 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 give you reassurance that you would make it in college
as well as you had these past 18 years, and most importantly
sent you off to college knowing you were loved.