About this time last year, my best friend was diagnosed with a serious kidney disease; one that if not treated could be fatal. She had been perfectly healthy until about a week before. Her disease was one that she had been born with, but was inactiventil it was triggered. No one is sure what triggered it. I remember the day I found out as if it were yesterday. I was sitting on my couch waiting for a phone call to tell me everything was OK. I was kind of dozing off when I heard a knock at my front door. I opened my door to reveal my grief-strickened friend. She stood on my front porch quivering, half from the cold and half from fright. Her eyes were bloodshot and her glitter eye-makeup was mixed with tears to form tiny, glittery rivers that ran down her cheeks. Instantly I was paralyzed by fear. I began to ask a million questions, half of which were probably not understandable because I was trembling. She managed to stammer out something about a disease and how she could die. As I stood there watching my friend crumble into nothing, cold, salty tears began to roll down my cheeks. I knelt beside her and threw my arms around her. We sat on my porch hugging each other for what seemed like hours. Finally she let go and we began to talk. My friend has been in many horrible situations that I couldn't make all right. The only way I can help is to open my arms and offer a shoulder to cry on and a hug. I make sure that I am never the first one to let go when I hug a friend. I feel that en my friend feels better she will let go and I will have done my job as a friend. Never be the first one to let go. By holding on, you're telling your friend that you're there. Hug your friends as much as you can. Show them you truly love them and en a hard time comes they will be there with open arms for you. ...
