My Best Friend

my Best Friend Brandon

What is a best friend? Almost everyone has one, and almost everyone is one. Everyone has their own definition of what their own best friend is like and what an impact he or she has made in their life. Brandon Williams is that person in my life. He is my best friend he can lift my spirits, make me laugh, and remind me that I am loved. He has been my best friend since 1989 before I could tie my own shoes. It all started in Mrs. Wagner's kindergarten class. There Brandon and I had instant chemistry, we became friends fast. Brandon and I were almost immediately inseparable. As a child, one begins to make friends, though at a young age these bonds are sometimes superficial. I never then would have thought twenty-three years later the bond between best friends would be this special and so important. Brandon has always been trust-worthy, loyal, and supportive. These qualities make him very admirable to me and have been the building blocks to our successful friendship. I would not be who I am today without having Brandon as my best friend.

As children, it's normal to value friends so much. We pledged our commitment through friendship bracelets and by becoming blood sisters and brothers. One memory I will never forget and when thought of makes my cheeks sore from smiling. In the sixth-grade we attended the YMCA Storer Camp. We were both eleven at the time, this however being the first time I was away from home. We had to stay in log cabins in a very dense wooded area, which made for an extremely dark night. The first night my heart raced so quickly, my body started to perspire, and "butterflies" in my stomach almost made me vomit. After our first night my anxiety made me want to escape the situation and fast. It was too dark and I was missing home. I trusted Brandon enough to express my feelings and fears I was having. I explained to him I wanted to go home. Brandon knowing how I felt about the dark and knew I would not express my concern to my camp counselor in fear the other students would laugh or taunt me. He snuck into the camp kitchen and stole a jar. Every night after dinner Brandon would catch dozens of Fireflies in a mason jar. From spending hours every night refilling the jar with Fireflies he had mosquito-bites the size of golf balls from head-to-toe. That entire week at camp he was constantly itching and swollen, covered in red welts. That never stopped him. Every night I went to sleep with no fear of the dark having a glowing mason jar to light my night. After camp I knew and fully understood how much Brandon cared for me and how trust-worthy he was. Through the years nothing has changed he always makes it clear about how much he truly cares. Every Firefly I see is a reminder of how lucky I am to have Brandon in my life as my true best friend.

Loyalty is a valued trait in our friendship. Brandon and my friendship remained important through our teen years. It provided us with opportunities to develop conflict resolution skills. It was helpful to have a friend who was going through the same situations. One effect of his friendship in high school was general influence. Peer pressure is an unfortunate, but predominant result of having companions. As a teen I looked for acceptance in the eyes of my peers. A particular experience