“Look at the little dog!” a girl shouted from across the street. “She’s got rain boots (靴子)!” I smiled and waved. I would never have put clothes on any animal I owned, but Velma wasn’t my dog. I’d just offered to walk her this morning because my friend, Arlene, fell ill. When Arlene had asked me to walk Velma, I’d been happy to volunteer. But I was less pleased when Arlene made me spend 20 minutes putting on Velma’s raincoat and four tiny rain boots. Once outside, I had expected to walk Velma around quickly. But with all the people stopping me every few minutes to talk about the little dog, it was taking me a long time. It was a moment of letting my unhappy feeling away to get her back home. I had done my good deed (行为) and could finally go off to work before I was late.

As I turned to go, Arlene said at the door. “Thank you so much. I’ll see you again at noon.” “Wait, what?” I was shocked by her words. “That’s when Velma gets her next walk,” Arlene said as if I’d somehow agreed to a whole daily schedule, “I’m sorry, Arlene,” I said. “I have to be at work.” “Oh,” Arlene said, “I guess we’ll see you at six then.” “Great,” I said, making my escape. 10 minutes later I realized that I’d just agreed to walk her dog again at six! How had I let that happen? I agreed to do things I really didn’t want to do.

That day was just the beginning. All the next week, Arlene “reminded” me to walk Velma at various times throughout the day. “Velma loves you,” she said one evening when I came to get the dog. “Sometimes I think she likes you better.” That sent a shake down my body. Was Arlene trying to make me Velma’s long-time dog walker? God, what have I gotten myself into?

Seeing the picture of Kelly and I holding teddy bears with great joy, I couldn’t help recalling the sweet memory. A few years ago, before Christmas, my dad placed a large box in his grocery store for people to donate toys for children in need. Kelly, my best friend came over to help with the wrapping. Knowing that our efforts would bring joy to so many children during the holiday season, we thought it was a rewarding experience.

As we worked, we shared moments of laughter and joy. After a short while, we had almost finished wrapping all the toys with just one little teddy bear left. Looking at it, I said, “It is the sweetest! It reminds me of my teddy bear. I sold all my little kid stuff at our garage sale when we moved. But now I’m really missing it!”

Kelly came to see it and shared. “I have a sad teddy bear story too. When my little brother was a baby, I let him play with my Rosy Bear, but he refused to give her back. Ever.” After our chat, we knew both of us had a special story with a teddy bear.

Right then, my dad entered the room and exclaimed. “Wow, great wrapping job! The kids are going to be thrilled when opening these presents.”

“They definitely will. Maybe we both want to be the one who can get the teddy bear. I can just imagine how delighted a kid would be to unwrap this sweet teddy bear.” said Kelly. We laughed, gazing at the perfectly wrapped bears.

My mom, joining in the laughter, suggested, “Why don’t you gather at our house next Saturday for a cookie-decorating party and exchange your Christmas gifts in advance? I’ll prepare the cookies for you.” “Good idea! I will enjoy the great joy of unwrapping the gift.” I said cheerfully. Hearing what we said, Kelly’s eyes lit up, saying, “Count me in!”

“All right, girls,” said my dad. “We need to do the toy-loading work now. We have to drop off all these presents before five o’clock!”

What Makes an Ideal Friend?

To say what an ideal friend is is not the easiest thing to do. Each person has his or her own opinion of what one would be. However, speaking generally, there are certain features that most people consider characteristic of an ideal friend. Loyal, trustworthy, and open to show weakness are common qualities that the majority of people attach to ideal friends.

Loyalty is a usual quality given to ideal friends. According to Psychology Today, “Loyalty is valued early on in all of our relationships, from the time we make our first friendships. We need friends who won’t spill our secrets to others, gossip about us, or allow others to criticize us”. The worst action between friends is not keeping one’s word.

Ideal friends are also usually referred to as being trustworthy. In a statement by Psychology Today, they say that, “Trustworthiness is often the “make or break” element in any interpersonal relationship. Any unfaithful action, regardless of recognized degree, can destroy a relationship. Trustworthiness consists of several elements, including honesty, dependability, and loyalty, and while each is important to successful relationships, honesty and dependability have been identified as the most vital in the area of friendships”. In light of this, a universal complaint of friends is a lack of honesty, and this is at the heart of being trustworthy.

In line with being honest is also the ability to show one’s weaknesses. According to the Book of Life, “The ideal friend doesn’t try to prove how powerful and successful they are; on the contrary, quite often they let us know awkward and potentially embarrassing things about themselves. They show how much they trust us by confessing failings and sorrows which would open them up to possible disgrace from the world beyond. They offer us the gift of their defenselessness”. That openness is treasured, as to be close to an individual, one must be willing to share his or her true feelings and states.