So about a year ago, the choir and orchestra went on a trip during spring break (it wasn't even a trip, we stayed at the high school!) and on the first or second day we were all lined up for lunch. Moriah and I, along with Laura, Jessy, and Rachel, were being hilarious and laughing a ton. Soon enough, we realized a sophomore boy in front of us that was turned side ways and listening to our every word......his name was (and still is) Chase. Soon after that realization, we asked Chase if he wanted to sit by us for lunch (he said yes of course) and we also asked him to sit by us on the way to the swimming pool (like an hour and a half away). Within that first day, Chase became one of our beloved friends. Since most all of my friends (Logan's friends) graduated last year, Chase was pretty much all I had left, so we have become such great friends. Our friend group consists of 5 amazing people, including Tanner, Cu (from Vietnam), Marina (from Germany), Chase, and myself. We have many others who graciously drift in and out also:) We hang out every weekend and drive to track and softball together while we blare gangster rap songs. We also eat a ton of food at wedding receptions, have hilarious lunch conversations, and refer to each other as the country we were born in. Moriah and Chase are also good friends, and when we are all together we have even more fun :) So please enjoy Chase's feelings on accepting our friends!
Chase:
Well I guess I should preface this with the fact that this is not a product of my best work seeing how I wrote it way past my bedtime. Well not way past but I did write it on very short notice and was encouraged to lie, steal and cheat make sure it was finished in the time allotted.
One thing in my life that I believe strongly is the act of acceptance. It is one belief that I feel is most important. I found myself on several occasions trying to fit in and be like the crowd just to gain friendships. It was on occasions like these, however, I came to realize that if these people really wanted to be my friends they wouldn’t need me to put up an act for them. True friends would accept me for who I am and not care about the flaws that I have. A true friend is one who would not abandon me at my times of trial or in my time of need but rather help to build me up and make me a better person. A true friend is one who would always be there to help me out with anything, whether is be a homework assignment, making a movie for a student body office election (Thanks for all your help Logan), or bailing me out of jail (this has not happened to me…. Yet). It is these realizations that I made during a time of looking for the right friends that brought me to some of the best friends I have today.
With that realization of a true friend and acceptance, I also realized the need for me to equally give back the acceptance and care to my friends in order for them to equally feel the love they have given me. It is with that, that I founded my belief of acceptance I found the need for me to be able to accept my friends for whoever they were. No matter what they believed, no matter what they liked to do, no matter how weird or annoying they could be to me at some points in time, I needed to accept them for who they are and that would lead for them to be my friends and eventually my best friends who I could share anything with. With that also comes the need to not hold grudges. I have found to really like people who don’t hold grudges because it gives me one less thing to worry about when it comes trying not to offend that person. Learning from what I like in a friend helps me to know how I should act as a friend.
Although it took me a while to make this realization that true friends are ones who don’t need to be impressed with a fake show, I think it is something that has shaped the way that I make and look for friends now, in a good way. I am so grateful for all of my best friends… you know who you are if I can hold an entertaining conversation with you in which I laugh to the point of near death, if I can flirt with you and you know that I am not a total creep, if I can talk to you about anything, if I listen/dance to Nicki around you, or if I sing Kesha over the phone to you. I highly encourage everyone to accept more and not hold grudges. It really makes for the best friends and helps to make you a more enjoyable person to be around. I will be the first to admit that I am still trying to apply these things in my life and that sometimes I am not the best at always accepting everyone, but I am trying and that is what I think counts the most. True friends will come to you as you realize and apply the attributes of a true friend, and it is these friends that will make your life the best it can be.
Left to right; Marina, Tanner, Chase, Me, Cu. Our regular lunch-time crew :)
Valentine's dance!! We totally rocked the dance floor with our gold and leopard getup!
Glamour time :) This is when Chase bleached his hair last summer. Popular!!
Us at state basketball a few weeks ago. Paige is on the left.
This is my favorite, I had to throw it in for a good giggle!! :)
Thanks for your great words on learning to accept our own friends, hopefully we all learned something from him and can become better friends to all!
