By: Anna Grzelak

Sirach 6:5-6 True Friendship “A kind mouth multiplies friends, and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings. Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant.”

A Friend’s Smiling Face There is a place I like to go Whenever I’m feeling Lonely or sad— A place of sunshine, Laughter and love That always leaves me Feeling glad. There I share my secrets, Hopes and fears, For this warm, inviting place— Always waiting, always welcoming— is found in my friend’s smiling face. The world is a more beautiful place Because of friends like you. --Helen Steiner Rice

“ There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” --- Linda Grayson

MkFqo MkFqo These hyperlinks are both the same thing. However, the second hyperlink is more blurry than the top one. (The YouTube video is more clear)

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” --- Elbert Hubbard Lauren, my BFF

Everyone needs a friend. Friendship is companionship, not wanting to be alone. Friendship connects you deeply with another person’s spirit or soul. There is a great example of the power of friendship in the book City of Ember. You may think that the person you’ve known the longest will always be your best friend. But, a lot of times you find your best friend in the most unexpected places. In City of Ember, at the beginning of the story, the main characters Lina and Doon, who used to be good friends, were very mad at each other. They were mad because Doon was embrassed and hurt because Lina was laughing at him. Doon screamed in her face, and they stopped being friends for a while. Soon Lina and Doon find out that they are both trying to find the way out of Ember and they need each other’s help. They become courageous life long friends. In a friendship, everyone supports and encourages each other. Lina finds a torn up document that ends up being important. However, she needs Doon to help her unscramble it. Doon knows where things are in the pipeworks, but he wanted Lina to help him explore the pipeworks. Doon and Lina have faith in each other and believe the document that Lina found would help them find their way out of the city of Ember.

Being a friend means you share each others hardships, but you also share in each others joys. Many times when you are with a friend who supports you, you are more courageous. Doon and Lina didn’t know what boats were and if one of them would have found the boats without the other, they probably wouldn’t have trusted them. Since Lina and Doon were together, they were willing to try out the boats. If Doon and Lina would’ve made it to the new city alone, they would’ve been excited, but at the same time they would’ve missed everyone in Ember. It is more fun to celebrate an accomplishment with a friend than by yourself. One of my best friends is my cousin Lauren. Lauren and I spend a lot of time together especially during summer vacations. She is eight months older than me, and she lives on a farm in Gillett. I love spending time with Lauren because we have very similar interests one of which is that our moms are sisters and her dad happens to be my godfather. Lauren and I both have younger sisters and we love to spy on them around the farm. We both love ice cream and we both have friendship necklaces!!!! Our love of God is stronger than many of our differences. For example, Lauren belongs to a non-denominational church and I belong to the Catholic Church, but we are both Christians on the journey towards heaven. I am truly blessed to have Lauren as one of my best friends. We love to be CRAZY silly--- just cuz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just like Lina and Doon, our lives are filled with adventures, joys, and sad times. Life is always better with a friend. Albert Camus once said about friendship “Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”

Sirach 6:14-17 “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; He who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, No sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, Such as he who fears God finds; For he who fears God behaves accordingly, And his friend will be like himself.”

Love ya Lauren !!!! Happy 13 th birthday!!! 4/14/00