A good friend...

A friend is someone who will bail you out of jail, but your best friend is the one sitting next to you saying "that was f***ing awesome".

The idea of a good friend...

In Kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.In first grade your idea of a good friend was the person who counted the slowest for you when it was your turn at the water fountain.

In second grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you stand up to the class bully.

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.

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-doing with Nasty Nick or Smelly Susan.

In fifth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who saved a seat on the back of the bus for you.

In sixth grade your idea of a good 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.

In seventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who let you copy the Social Studies homework from the night before that you had.

In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball stuff, but didn't laugh when you finished and burst into tears.

In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who would go to a party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshman there.

In tenth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who changed their schedule so you would still have someone to sit with at lunch.

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, counseled you when you broke up with Nick or Susan, and found you a date to the prom.

In twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pick out a college/university, assured you that you would get in, and helped you deal with your parents who where having a hard time adjusting to letting you go.

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 on all you had achieved.The summer after graduation 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 you and Nick or 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 misty eyes back at 18 years of memories you where going to leave behind. 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 the past 18 years, and most importantly, sent you off knowing you were loved.

Now your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of the two choices, holds your hand when you’re scared, helps you fight off those who try to bring you down, thinks of you at times when you are not there, reminds you of what you have forgotten, helps you put the past behind you but understand when you need to hold onto it for just a bit longer, stays with you so that you have confidence, goes out of their way to make time for you, helps you clear up your mistakes, and most of all, lets you know that you will always be loved.