Essay 1

Friends are a precious possession that you should hold dear. These kind of good friends are difficult to come by and they are one of the select few that will always be in your life. These types of friends are those who should not be taken for granted. Friends like these should be cherished, treasured and adored.

That is just the type of friend that you see in this photograph. My very good friend Allison is on the left and myself is on the right. When I look at this photograph, I am reminded of the immense closeness and incredible friendship that we share. The smiles in the photograph portray the love and affection we feel toward each other. Our friendship was established 11 years ago when we began working together and has developed into a friendship that can be compared to the close bond sisters possess. A friendship that will last a lifetime and a friendship that you know will last the rest of our lives. This photograph was taken last summer at a Rodney Strong concert with the performance of Chris Issac. The significance of the event is that we both have our own busy and hectic lives but always find times to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We often strive to get together once a month for an evening of “girl talk” which can be challenging at times because of our schedules. Regular annual and sometimes biannual vacations with the girls are made a priority to escape our stressful lives and unwind and relax. These vacations are meant to alleviate our minds of work, family responsibilities and stress as a refresher. When we are on the road to our destination, no matter how far and how many hours, we are without silence in the car. We just keep talking and sharing with each other. When we arrive to the vacation destination, there are no plans in place. We just do what we feel like, even if it is just curling up in front of the fireplace with a good book. The whole experience is about relaxation. It proves beneficial for all to be able to reward ourselves with this relaxation so that we may return to our lives refreshed and rejuvenated. Many fond memories have been created. We work hard and we play hard. There are times that we are consumed in the daily grind and responsibilities that we may not talk for a couple months but then we get together and catch up on each other’s lives. The closeness is always there no matter how much time has passed.

We have many life experience that we have shared together and trials that we have leaned on each other for. My friend Allison has been there for me through an immense amount of trials that I have experienced and mistakes I have made. She is always supportive and is non-judgmental. There are countless times that she has been there to get me on my feet after several terrible and abusive relationships. Sometimes I think of all the times she has helped me move to escape the abuse and I get emotional thinking of how she has never complained about it. Her house has been extended to me several times when I had nowhere to go. Her husband and she are filled with such hospitality. She is just always there. She has proven to be a good listener and supplies me with advice when needed. The friendship that we share is not only emotional but is on a physical level as well. We have experienced each others pain and recovery through several illnesses and surgeries. There are countless good memories of our friendship that we have shared.

Everlasting friends can go long periods of time without contact and never question their friendship and pick right up where they left off. They speak as though they were in contact yesterday. They could even move miles apart and have the same closeness. Life can be extremely busy but these types of friends understand and love you anyway. It is an eternally bond that you share. I will never take Allison for granted.