A2-20 · What Makes a Good Friend?

What Makes a Good Friend?

The Lincoln Lion · school newspaper · by Bára Nováková

Last month, I asked 120 students at our school one question: "What makes a good friend?" I expected to get 120 different answers, but most students agreed on five things.

1. A good friend listens. This was the number one answer. "If I have a problem, my best friend stops doing everything else and listens," says Maya, 8th grade. "She doesn't try to give me advice all the time. She just lets me talk."

2. A good friend keeps secrets. "If you tell a real friend a secret, it stays a secret," says Tyler, 7th grade. Many students remember losing a friend because he or she told a secret to other people.

3. A good friend makes you laugh. Laughing together is important. "When I'm sad, Jake always manages to make me smile," says Ryan, 7th grade. "He's really bad at telling jokes, so we laugh at him!"

4. A good friend is honest. Good friends tell you the truth, even when you don't want to hear it. "My friend told me to stop spending all night on my phone. I was angry, but she was right," says Olivia, 8th grade.

5. A good friend is there for you. Friends don't only enjoy having fun together. They also help when things are hard.

Interestingly, only 6 students said that a good friend has to like the same things as you. "My best friend loves playing football, and I hate sports," says Ethan, 6th grade. "But we enjoy talking about everything else."

And what about me? I came to the USA as an exchange student, and I was afraid of being alone. But if you are friendly to people, they are usually friendly to you. Now I have friends that I hope to keep forever.