Winnie the Pooh and Piglet the Friend

            As the phone is ringing, I think about the fact that I haven’t seen Stephanie in almost a year. We were best friends for 10 years and then I left the school and we lost touch. I begin to question if it will be uncomfortable spending time with her after all these months. She picks up the phone and we just start talking. And talking. And talking. For hours and hours, we chat about this and that, that and this, with no general theme, and we decide to get lunch the next day. We meet up for lunch and again we talk and talk and talk about nothing and everything, and it felt so normal. Stephanie as a person is my definition of friendship. She is the person I can spend hours and hours doing nothing with or not even talking and it will still be totally normal. We can go months without speaking, and when we see each other, we fall back into that child-like friendship.

            I have this laminated card in my wallet from my mom. On it is a quote from Winnie the Pooh that reads, “If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.” Although this quote reminds me that my mom is always with me, it is also a reminder that my friends, especially Stephanie are here no matter what. I have always thought that friendship is about those people you can go to for everything, and Stephanie is just that. I know that no matter what happens, she is a rock in my life that I can rely on.

            However, I have new best friends that challenge my old view of friendship. I have a ton of friends who I can go to for everything and I have some friends that I can go to for nothing. I mean this in a positive way. There are some friends in my life who I wouldn’t tell my deepest darkest secrets, but who I can always have a good laugh with. Maybe friendship isn’t about being vulnerable, but maybe friendship is about just being in itself. If I can just exist with a person next to me, perhaps that is a true friend. On the other hand, if you can’t be open with someone, how can they support you and be there for you? Maybe there are two types of friends and to me, that is totally okay.

--Max