Friendship has many different definitions in life. They
usually differ between culture and where you are in the world and people have
different views of what friendship is. The official definition of friendship is
a relationship of mutual affection between
people. Most children first make friends with people by
the age of 3 but fully understand the concept of friendship by age 8.
We all grew up knowing that friendship on a simple level is
someone you interact with on a daily basis and like to spend your time with. As
children we thought friendship was just someone you would eat lunch with ,
trade Pokemon Cards with or play sports with. In lower grade levels it seemed
everyone in the class were friends with each other. However the higher you get
in education, the more noticeable it is on how people are divided and all those
people you had “friendships” with are all gone now. This may not be the case
for some but it is for most people,since it is unlikely to stay friends with
all those people from kindergarten.
Friendship isn’t only based on how long you have known the person.
It is also based on how much you connect with that person and the trust you
have between each other. For example I have only known some people for a couple
years now but I feel much more closer to them than to people I have talked to
since middle school. Friendship really just dwells down to the point of how
well you connect with each other. Not only that, but also how much effort each
person is willing to put into the friendship they have. You can have someone
who rarely wants to talk to you and that's okay, or you can have someone else
who always wants to hang out and is willing to help you in life.
Friendship not only helps you not be lonely in life, but also
having a healthy friendship with someone could also make you a better person in
life. When you have a good relationship with someone then you both aren’t
afraid to tell each other things, good or bad. You both will be able to help
each other and give advices, whereas if someone else you didn’t know as well
told you, you may get a little upset. They will tell you the truth and tell
what to do and what not to do.
Soon friendship becomes something bigger than friendship itself.
When asked how many friends I have, I tend to say that I am pretty chill with
everyone however I do have those people who are close to me and basically my
brothers. You get passed the point with someone where words can’t even describe
the relationship you two have. You both are more than friends and your
friendship turns into sibling level. You think that you will be close like this
forever until you die. However this could all be gone in a split second. One
day it could all end and that’s just how friendships work.
I really enjoyed reading this piece because of how relatable and blunt you were about everything. By adding personal experiences that you have had it lets me know that this story comes from the heart and that's very captivating to me or any person reading your story. It genuinely made me question who my real friends are and who are just in it for the ride, also I really liked that you added that official definition of friendship because it made this more credible and it made for a comedic relief, well at least for me. I agree with everything you said, and liked that this story was so real. Great job, Zion!
ReplyDeleteI can really relate to this piece, being your first hand man, I was there when we were going through this hard time of our life. We both realized that the friends that we had were really unfaithful and overall fake. I know exactly who you're talking about and I know why you feel this way because it's mutual between us. Overall. this is a super relatable piece because I also lived it with you. We saw this and came through it together and this piece just shows how both of us can get through anything together.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you brought up how friendships are fortified by connections between two people. Your own experiences with friendships greatly contributed to your piece by demonstrating how knowing people for years doesn't determine the strength of your friendship with them. I hadn't ever considered that, but now, I see that that is definitely valid.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was younger I was unable to defer friends from friends. And what I meant by that is those whom I've known in middle school but haven't talked to them since, I still call them friends. The individuals whom I've known in high school where they are truly supportive and caring for me I also call them friends. This piece truly helped me to understand that the word "friend" isn't a tag you put on someone you've known, but all the more a identity in which one uses to defer from those who care and are supportive of you from those who don't.
ReplyDeleteThis is so relatable in numerous ways. I had experienced this same situation myself and its not the best feeling, but when you meet the friends that are truly there and are very close to you, those are the ones that are truly in your heart. Life goes on and friendships go as well but the ones that hold on tight are the most precious friendships ever. This piece made me really understand what a friend is to everyone. A friend isn't just someone that is there and you rarely talk to, yet a friend is someone who has someone's shoulder. Great use of details and tone with using of connections of middle schools and high schools but also pointing out differences.
ReplyDeleteFriendship is a concept which is personally a very important thing to me as well. I can relate to when you mention how you realize true friendships as you grow up. I enjoyed reading this piece because of the choronological set up which helps to exemplify the way friendships are redefined throughout life. -Solina Khou
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your piece. In a way as we get older the definition of friendship changes. I like the organization and the use of a personal experience. The last two sentences you wrote really stuck with me because it is really true, the friendships we create could end at any moment and its okay because it is apart of life.
ReplyDeleteVery well job in the overall message of genuine friendship, it truly have me a broader perspective of the idea of friendship, making me think about the relationships I have with the people I love. Friendship is incredibly delicate and I definitely learned that in your writing. I also thoroughly enjoyed how you related the topic to your personal life, it gave me insight to who you are as well, and created an even deeper connection from me to your writing. Overall, amazing work!
ReplyDeleteThe way you organized this piece was great. It shows maturity, how your mindset has matured and how you have learned after some of the losses you've experienced. I like this piece because it is extremely relatable especially at our age.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you designed this to be like an overall definition of friendship, i thought it was a very clever way to approach this topic. It was very informative and the way it was expressed was such an amazing way to connect with the reader.
ReplyDeleteThe way you organized your piece into a chronological order of events reminds me of how I viewed friendship when I was younger. I would consider any kid who played with me for more than 2 minutes to be my new friend. Now that I am older, i put a lot of value on word friend and do not use it lightly. I can see that we have a lot similarities in our growth over time, due to the examples that you provided about your personal life. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThis piece really did bring out all the meanings of friendship. The way you brought out different ways to convey it really defined it as it should be. This was a very thoughtful and relatable way of defining the word. Great work!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, man. Although your take on the way you see friendship might be a little too realistic for someone else, I think its just a different way to look at friendships. Your perspective was raw and couldn't have been more true. Great work.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this reading because it made me feel better about being there for my friends when they need me and help me appreciate the friends that are there for me when I'm going through a situation myself. I really feel like I can relate to this due to my nurturing nature and my intentions on always helping and being there for my friends. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteYou seemed to be very comfortable and familiar with relationships in general. Not only do you view the positive parts in an optimistic view but even the bad endings. It's tragically beautiful the way you tied it at the end.
ReplyDeleteI really appretiate your realistic view of friendship. The endings of long-term friendships usually hurts but this piece aids with the coping and understanding of moving on. I felt the way you wrote it was in a very personal way in which I felt your sadness from lost friendships but also the growing of your understanding. It's easy for any reader to connect with your writing. I enjoyed your insightful reasoning of "deeper connections" which proves true in many case. Overall, well done. I really enjoyed. :)
ReplyDeleteI've lost a lot of friends over the years, and what affected me most is when you said that effort has to come from both parties for the friendship to work. It made me see that a lot of past relationships were my fault. Overall great piece of writing, and thank you for the insight.
ReplyDelete-Kynoa V
I like how personal you got with this piece, I met my best friend a year ago and so far she's the only friend that I've had that I can have full trust in. Just like you and your friends she's more of a sibling than just a friend because of how close we are. This piece also made me think about friendships in the past and how it doesn't matter how long you've known a person, more of the bond you have with one another. Thank you for your insight on friendship!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this piece. Overall, a great friendship is something that is hard to come across as it has become extremely common for people to simply walk out of our lives. Of course, there are always "friendships" in which you put forth more effort than the other will, but when you really find someone who makes a friendship worth it, it really impacts your life in an extremely positive way. Good job
ReplyDeleteIt was great hearing about your own ideas regarding what friendships truly are. You used the widely accepted definition of friendship and added your own beliefs based on personal experience. Your realist beliefs regarding the fragility of friendships are spot on and they force us to realize how cruel reality is. This was a great piece that everyone can relate to, especially at this stage of our lives. - Jerico Dizon
ReplyDeleteYou know Zion, you and I have been friends for about 1 year now and yes I really connected with you and your friends. All of you people will be great things in this world and this truly defined the word "Friendship" because I think we can all relate to it. It has been a journey and I hope we can continue, and this was a really well written piece.
ReplyDeleteThis is as close to the real "definition" of friendship you can ever get. You went above and beyond the dictionary term and backed up your statements with personal life experiences and knowlege. This passage would be very useful for a person who feels like they are all alone in the world.
ReplyDeleteI like how u expressed your own personal views on friendship by connecting values you have learned from your personal life to the common beliefs of the idea of "friendship". You show not only the good but the bad ideologies behind the concept and i think that is important in order to grasp the true meaning behind it.
ReplyDeleteZion i must say this was great it showed the ups and downs of friendship, though that was to be expected it's a reflection on friendship. What was different was the format you could say, we all know about friendship but this piece, well at least what i took from it showed how through the loss of friends and the building of new relationships we can truly establish a friendship that is beyond friendship so to speak. Though my only criticism would have to be that you could have elaborated more when you said "usually differ between culture" by explaining this more i feel you could have driven your point of view on friendship further into the reader. But i digress this was good buddy
ReplyDeleteI love your point of view on the subject of friendship. Not only was this passage well written, but it was also so very insightful. I can tell that whoever the people are that you call your "brothers", they've got one awesome guy that they can call their own.
ReplyDeleteThis story gave me a way different outlook on friendship and relationships in general. I think your story does a great job of putting things into perspective especially in a time when a lot of friends are going to move on to different schools in different states. Overall, amazing story.
ReplyDeleteWow there's just so many pieces on love and friendship! They're leaving me with the fluffiest feeling inside. I totally agree that some friendships mean more than others regardless of the length of time you've known a person. It was nice to see someone write about the fact that not all friendships last forever, no matter how strong they may seem at the time. Which is always unfortunate to see or hear out loud, but true nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThe way you described all the different situations throughout kindergarten all the way till senior year with all the friendships that happened felt like you hit it right on the nail. I also liked how you described how just because you are friends with someone for a long time doesn't mean that you aren't better friends with someone else because your connection with that person is stronger. This passage made me think about all the friendships that have come and gone, but also think about the friends that I did get those strong connections with that are just so close to me.
ReplyDeleteI like the theme of this piece because it is so relevant to me at this moment in time. I love people and getting to know them but nothing beats the feeling of wanting to give genuine love and affection to those you cherish and it being reciprocated. You were very accurate in saying that it all comes down to connection, we may know a person for a year and feel as if they have been present our whole entire life. These connections don't always last but it is important enjoy the people we love for as long as we can because life is unexpected and that's just the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this piece and I learned that friendship is very subjective and that there are all sorts of different friendships. The fact that you described the different types of friendship really helped me connect in a certain way to all the different types of friendships I have in my life. It is amazing to think about the different types of friends we encounter but we all do experience them in some way or another.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing! I like how you first incorporated the official definition of friendships but expanded more on that with not only your own experience but from the things you've seen. Friendship is truly subjective and I enjoyed your take on the matter. You gave an excellent commentary on the idea of friendship and made it relatable to a good majority of people who have read your work. It was truly a great work and you did a fantastic job on hitting the nail right on the head. Wow Zion, great moves. Keep it up. Proud of you.
ReplyDeletei like how you worded everything your writing style very blunt/ straight to the point and i really like that because sometimes it makes it easier to understand what you are trying to say. i find it very relate able because is is true we truly don't understand the concept of friendship until we are in an older age. over all i enjoyed this piece its one of the reasons why we read literature, to have a different point of view and get a better understanding.
ReplyDeleteThe way in which you describe friendship is wonderful. As anyone who has several close friends knows, friendship is an amazing thing that can help you grow as a person, and I truly think that your piece cna remind people of that. Very well done indeed!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your piece very much because it reminds me of times we take friendships for granted. It was just this past year that truly realized how much time and energy I put into building friendships with people and often times it is not reciprocated. Ive lost many friends over the years, and personally for me that has been such a hard obstacle to overcome because I hold my friendships very dear to my heart, and when people take advantage of what I give them, ignore me and honestly just use me as a companion for their convenience it really hurts. This piece helped reestablish the the true reality of friendships.
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading this because it reminded me of a TedTalk and it actually made me reflect on myself and think "oh my God they're right" and "hahaha wow is that person REALLY my friend?". Its great and I would definetly love to use this as an actual definition and example of how friendship works.
ReplyDeleteThis piece is straightforward and carefully detailed, which effectively characterizes your perspective on how true friendships should be today. I believe this fits very well, as I completely agree with you on the idea that these mutual relationships with others will fade if not catered to and supported on a constant basis. Additionally I appreciate the progressive tone of your piece, as it is true that whether the friendships you have succeed or fail in the future, they still occurred nonetheless and that's something that should always be cherished.
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