I think our meaning of friendship as a society has changed. We think we can just post something that says this person is our best friend, and that makes it true. It doesn’t work like that. You have to truly care about that person and want to do things for them that will make them happy.

  On July 1st, I got home from soccer practice, walked into my room and saw my best friend holding a sign along with a bunch of birthday gifts.

 The sign said, “Happy Birthday Potato Munchkin” (her nickname for me) in huge letters, and beneath was a long and meaningful message. And her presents were what she knew would be meaningful and special for me.

  However,  I’m not saying you have to buy a bunch of presents and write a long letter to be a good friend. It’s much more than that.

   Being a good friend means you lift someone up instead of putting them down. Anytime they need you to make them a happier person, you are there for them.

  I was in a really bad place at the beginning of the school year, and I was feeling very down about certain things. To cheer me up, my friend made a slideshow for me of all our of memories together, filled with funny pictures and videos that made me realize how lucky I was to have a friend like her.

  Being a good friend is also about feeling proud and happy for them, not jealous. If they have something you don’t, you shouldn’t be mad or envy them. You should be happy for them.

  Once, my friend and I tried out for a team. Unfortunately she didn’t make it, but I did. Even though she didn’t make it, she still sent me a text saying she was very proud of me which meant so much. Sure, she wished that she made it, but she would never wish that our places were switched.

  A good friend can always keep a secret. Trust is one of the most important parts of friendship, and without it you can’t build a relationship.

  One of my best friends is someone I always go to for advice or to tell her anything. I know she’s the type of person who will always keep my secrets and give me good and honest feedback. She always reaches out to me if she can tell I’m acting weird.

  Laughing and having a good time with friends is also really important. If you aren’t having fun with them, then what’s the point of a friendship? In my dance group in PE, we had two days to learn a complicated dance, and when it was our turn to perform, we forgot the whole thing. The whole time I was just laughing and falling on the ground with my friends.

  It sounds embarrassing, but I was having so much fun that I forgot all about the people watching us.

  Appreciate them, love them and support them. That is how to be a good friend.