It was so hard for me to make friends growing up. Believe it or not, it still is. I always felt different from everyone else. Moving to the U.S. from the islands wasn’t easy. I had a thick accent and the only thing I knew about the American culture was what I saw on TV. Now that I’m grown, I’ve outgrown my insecurities. I find it much easier to meet new people. But, it’s still tough to make friends. Let’s face it, not everyone is genuine. You have those who are opportunists. You have those who become conditional or fair-weather friends. I’m talking about the kind of people who are there when things are great. But, the minute you fall on hard times, they bounce. Then you have the fakers. The ones who seem like they’re your friends, but they end up talking about you behind your back. They may even try to rip you off.
These are the kinds of people I’ll have to teach Princess to stay away from. Like Oprah says, “Listen to your inner voice.” If you get the feeling someone isn’t genuine or has bad intentions, chances are you’re absolutely right.
Princess is fortunate to have friends of her own. Here she is with her bestie, Katie.
I love seeing them play together. I know they’re just tots. But, I can already tell that this little girl is a true friend. There are days Princess cries when I drop her off at daycare. Katie would try to soothe her by giving her hugs and holding hands. It’s so cute to watch. But, it makes feel great knowing that she has a buddy who wants to see her happy. As she gets older, I can only hope that she chooses true friends. Clearly, she already has.
Do you teach your kids about true friendship?
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