March 16, 2012: Tips for keeping the peace & building friendships, by Maddison Peltier
Friendship and trust go hand in hand. If you cannot trust someone, you’re not really friends.
Respect also plays a big role in a friendship. If you don’t give respect, you can’t expect to receive it.
Never walk away mad from a friend. The next day they may not be there for you to ask for forgiveness. A friendship can come and go in a matter of seconds. Life is short and you never know when it might be the last time you see a friend. If you part mad, you may have to live with that for the rest of your life.
With friendship and family, you have to compromise. One person cannot always be right. You have to meet in the middle. When you compromise, everyone will get a little of what they want. An example would be if you are one of three friends who each want to watch their favorite movie; the three can compromise by watching a movie they all like instead of their favorite. Then you and your friends all get to spend time with each other.
In friendships and family you should always work hard to keep your relationships in good repair. When you have a conflict, solve it right away. True friends shouldn’t require as much work to do this. Friends and family like you for who you are so you don’t have to worry about impressing them. If you have to work to impress your friends, it’s likely not worth being friends with them. Be yourself and your friends and family will stick with you through thick and thin.
Support your friends’ decisions. Try to get along with everyone no matter how hard it is. Don’t hold grudges against people who haven’t made the best decisions as we all make bad decisions from time to time. Be an active member of your community. Go support peers at their sporting events, or other events they’re involved in. These are things you can do to show others you care.
Make good decisions about who you choose as friends. Be the best you can be. If that is not good enough for other people, do not associate with them. Remember that family should always come first. This is how we can keep our friendships and family close to us and make our community a peaceful one.
— Maddison Peltier is an eighth grader at Concordia Junior High School. She is the daughter of Greg and Tami Peltier.