Making Friends, Losing Enemies

About five years ago I started at a new school, when my family moved to Iowa. I was just a little excited, but I worried I would never fit in with the other sixth graders.

Lucy, a girl in my class, who I thought was not ready for change, didn't like me from the start. In fact, I was pretty sure she hated me. I would ask her a question, and I could tell she thought I was a total idiot.

My teacher made us sit by each other for the last semester. Lucy was horrified.

I didn't wear make-up, and I didn't wear those awesome bell-bottom pants. I didn't exactly look like the coolest girl. But, I kept smiling at her, though she rolled her eyes, and I kept telling her she looked beautiful, even if she sighed in irritation.

Eventually, Lucy let me talk to her, even in sight of her 'cool' friends. She started telling me how beautiful I looked. I still remember that first time when she smiled at me saying that, and I smiled right back, telling her thanks. Lucy invited me over to her house for sleepovers, and talked to me all the time instead her other friends. Lucy, the girl who hated me, called me her best friend. After that, we still were good friends a whole year later.

I may have moved to Arizona after that, but I will never forget Lucy. It's funny-- I still remember her birthday. She was a great friend. And to think, she considered me her enemy at first. Though it was hard, and it felt like I was wasting my time, and losing my dignity, I still smiled at Lucy when she made fun of me. I'm not stupid, I didn't think she was right in doing those things, but I still put up with it. And we became great friends. We became inseparable.

About two weeks ago, I read a quote by Abraham Lincoln: "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" Instantly, I smiled, thinking of Lucy. That quote just reminded me how great of a friend I used to have back in that state of Iowa five years ago.

Submitted by Anonymous

Reaching Out