How to Be a Friend

How to Be a Friend

Friendship is one of the purest and most profound relationships we can experience in life. It goes beyond mere companionship; it is a bond forged through trust, loyalty, and deep understanding. A true friend is not just someone who stands by you in times of joy, but someone who holds your hand when the world feels like it's crumbling. The story of Arjun and Sam illustrates what it means to truly be a friend.

Arjun and Sam had been inseparable since childhood. Growing up in a small town, they shared everything—from secrets whispered under the stars to dreams of the future. Arjun was the more optimistic of the two, always full of hope and excitement about life, while Sam was quieter, more reserved, and often weighed down by personal struggles. Despite their differences, they balanced each other perfectly. For them, friendship wasn’t just about fun and laughter; it was about being there for each other, no matter the cost.

When they were in their late teens, life started to shift for both of them. Arjun was accepted into a prestigious university, a dream he had harboured for years. Sam, on the other hand, was not as fortunate. Despite his best efforts, he didn’t make it into university and was left to deal with a deep sense of failure and hopelessness. He withdrew into himself, distancing from everyone, even Arjun. Sam felt unworthy and lost, convinced that his friend would soon outgrow him and move on to bigger, better things.

Arjun, however, noticed the change in Sam. He could see the sadness and self-doubt creeping into his friend’s life, and he refused to let Sam push him away. For Arjun, friendship wasn’t about comparing achievements or moving forward alone. It was about walking together, even if one of them stumbled.

One evening, Arjun visited Sam’s house unannounced. The door was slightly ajar, a sign that Sam had grown careless in his isolation. Arjun entered and found Sam sitting in the dark, staring blankly at the wall. Without a word, Arjun sat beside him. There was no lecture, no forced pep talk. He simply sat there, offering his presence. Sometimes, the most profound way to be a friend is to show up without saying anything, to just be there.

After what felt like hours, Sam finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Arjun. I’ve failed at everything. You’re going to university, and I’m stuck here. I feel like I’m not enough. You don’t need me dragging you down.”

Arjun’s heart ached hearing his friend’s pain. He placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder and said, “You’re not a failure, Sam. And even if you feel like one, it doesn’t change how much you mean to me. We’ve been through too much together for me to leave you behind now. Success isn’t what defines our friendship. It’s the way we look out for each other, no matter what.”

Sam, overwhelmed by emotion, broke down. For months, he had carried the weight of his disappointment alone, and Arjun’s words were the first rays of light he had felt in a long time. That night, in the quiet of Sam’s dimly lit room, the two friends talked—really talked—for the first time in months. Arjun listened as Sam opened up about his fears, his anxieties, and the overwhelming sense of inadequacy that had taken hold of him.

From that moment, Arjun made it his mission to remind Sam of his worth. He didn’t try to “fix” Sam’s problems but instead helped him navigate through them. Arjun encouraged Sam to explore new paths, find other opportunities, and, most importantly, to not give up on himself. He accompanied Sam to job interviews, helped him apply for community courses, and was there for every setback and small victory. Arjun’s unwavering belief in his friend gave Sam the strength to believe in himself again.

The months passed, and slowly, Sam began to regain his confidence. He found a job he enjoyed, started building new skills, and began to look at life with renewed hope. But through it all, one thing remained constant—Arjun’s friendship.

Sam once asked Arjun, “Why didn’t you give up on me? I pushed you away, I wasn’t much fun to be around, and you had your own life to live. Why did you stay?”

Arjun smiled, the kind of smile that holds years of shared memories, hardships, and joy. “Because you’re my friend, Sam. And being a friend means sticking around, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.”

Sam realised that friendship wasn’t just about being there during the good times or when everything was easy. It was about showing up during the darkest moments, offering hope when all seems lost, and believing in someone when they’ve forgotten how to believe in themselves. Arjun had been the embodiment of that kind of friend—steadfast, loyal, and full of quiet strength.

Years later, when Sam was more settled and had found success in his own way, he looked back on that difficult period of his life and realised that it wasn’t his failures that defined him. It was his friendship with Arjun that had shaped him into the person he had become. The bond they shared had been the anchor that kept him from drifting away.

The story of Arjun and Sam is a testament to what it truly means to be a friend. A friend isn’t someone who expects you to be perfect or successful all the time. They don’t measure the worth of your relationship by how much you can offer them. Instead, a friend is someone who sees your worth even when you can’t, who stands by you when you’re at your lowest, and who helps you rise again, not by fixing your problems, but by walking beside you as you face them.

In the end, to be a friend is to offer love and understanding without expectation, to stand by someone when they’re too weak to stand on their own, and to remind them that they are never truly alone.