Friends

ALOK ANAND is almost a teenager! Here he answers questions on friendship and how his friends bring peace, courage and confidence to his life.

The qualities I value most in friends

When we like the same things and like to play the same games. I love friends who have the ability to understand me, and to care for me when I need it. On the surface, I am very funny, energetic, optimistic, crazy, and sometimes very annoying; but inside I am very sensitive and can easily get hurt. People are unpredictable, and I don’t mind that, but I still have feelings, and some people can’t seem to understand that. The ones who do understand are those I call my true friends. This is the quality I look for most in a true friend: to be able to understand and care.

The ones who do understand are those I call my true friends.
This is the quality I look for most in a true friend:
to be able to understand and care.

The type of friend I want to be

I want to be a friend who is playful, fun, caring, funny, not too annoying, and kind. Most importantly, I want to be a friend who is able to understand others, so if they need to share something, they can come to me and I can help them solve it. I want to be a friend who is trustworthy.

How my friends have affected the way I deal with life and others

My friends have helped me realize things about myself, like:

• Sometimes, in excitement, I hurt people. Now I understand that I need to calm down. This came from Harita and Pushpa.
• I should never ever give up, because if I do I will tend to give up more easily next time. This came from Rahul.

When I am bored, I look forward to playing with my friends.

I am sometimes scared to do the things I must do. But my friends Stella, Rahul, and Saral have told me that they shall be there for me, and that has made me bold and strong.