Appreciating Those Around You

These days, it seems as if friends come and go as frequently as the seasons change. Sometimes people do not take the time to truly appreciate those friends and loved ones who have been around for the long haul; the ups and downs, the good and the bad times. 

I, like many other people, have had my fair share of heartbreaks and personal struggles, but my closest friends and loved ones are the people who have helped me to make it out relatively unscathed. 

Image courtesy of livingthebalancedlife.com

Who hasn't had a rough patch in their life? I mean, we are all humans, and nobody is perfect. (Just take a look at how Lindsay Lohan has turned out!) As humans who err, we need those people who will always be there for us-and who we will always be there for when the shoe is on the other foot. 

In Erin's perfect world, friends would take the time to show each other that they care and are thankful to have that person in their life. To do this, one would take a little bit of time to hand make something for a friend. It does not even have to cost you money. Simply writing "I'm so glad we're friends!" on a piece of paper and slipping it under their door will suffice. 

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This first week of school has been anything but Erin's perfect world. It seems that I am the only one out of my friends who has been assigned homework in every class! But, one day while I was printing out syllabi, I remembered that my friend had started her first day of job training at a very nice Frederick restaurant that will remain unnamed. 

Image courtesy of Adam Leviton

Alright, I cannot keep it a secret any longer: the restaurant is Volt, so you can only imagine how intense job training is there. I mean, this poor friend got a stapled packet of all the rules she has to follow, right down to the stipulations of wearing eyebrow pencil. (By the way, I did not know people even wear eyebrow pencil unless their brows are completely waxed off.)

I digress.

After printing, I opened up a fresh Word document and typed a little note wishing this friend a good day at work and saying that I was excited to hang out that evening. I slid it under her door (she conveniently lives in my hall) and went along my merry way. 

Nothing was in it for me. I did not expect one thing in return, and that concept is the foundation of my plan for a better world. People are too concerned about what they will get out of things they do. Go grocery shopping, you will get gas points! Donate money to our art museum, you will get your name on a plaque so everyone sees how rich you are! 

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That type of culture disgusts me. People should practice kindness to all, and generosity from the heart. Trust me when I say this, doing something when you expect not one thing in return feels great. When I ran into my friend later, she said that my simple note that took me one minute to make made her day. I was so pleased to hear that my words could add at least one smile into a friend's day.

So I challenge YOU to make something for a friend tomorrow. Yes, I know you have class, but if it took me a minute to type a one-sentence note, you can find something to give a friend to let them know you care!