The Building Blocks of Friendship

What makes a true friend? After doing a quick survey of a few campers, one said a true friend is someone who helps you. Another said it is someone who listens to you. A third said it is a person who does not gossip about you.

While I think they are all correct, to me a real friend is a person who wants you to succeed and helps you achieve your greatest potential.

These are the kinds of friends I met at AYC!

At camp, I did not have to worry about making friends. Everyone was open and sincere. They wanted to be your friends just as much as you wanted to be theirs. Therefore, there was no reason to be too shy to start a conversation.

Knowing some simple building blocks of friendship helped with this process.

First of all, to make a new friend, you must start a conversation with someone. This is one of the most important steps. You can only get to know a person by talking with them. For some, this is harder than others. But for those who are shy, do not fret. AYC is one of the easiest places to make friends because everyone wants to be your friend!

The canoe trip was a perfect opportunity to get to know people better through conversation. Paddling for miles together allowed time for us to learn new things about each other. It was exciting to drift down the river while laughing and having good conversations.

Second, helping others is essential for making friends. Assisting someone in need means a lot to them. It shows you care.

At camp, we helped others by doing random acts of kindness such as filling up others’ water bottles, clearing dirty plates, and for girls, doing each other’s hair.

Third, encouraging a person makes them want to become your friend. People will desire to be around you because you are encouraging and positive.

At volleyball, we encouraged others by cheering for them. This made them keep trying and helped the activity to be more fun.

Fourth, do not forget to smile! Smiling shows that you are a friendly person who someone will want to be around.

Now that you know a few ways to make true, lasting friendships, go out and show yourself friendly!