What Makes a Great Friend?

Thank you for your warm congratulations and your strong response to my book launch giveaway of Little Cat’s Luck. The giveaway winners were Natasha Thorager of Minnesota, Theresa Swank of Missouri, and Marjorie Stout of Florida.There were many wonderful answers to the giveaway question, which was: “Little Cat’s Luck features an unlikely friendship. What trait do you think is most important in a great friendship, and why?” Several of these answers have been turned into the found poem below; I encourage you to consider posing this question, or something similar, to your students, and then working with them to shape their responses into a classroom poem. It’s a great way to build both language skills and social emotional learning skills.What Makes a Great Friend?A person who supports you and stands by you no matter what,who can listen and encourage with just the right set of words and actions,providing you a space to be yourself.A careful, considerate listener, sharing, spending time.Sometimes a person needs to hear the truth, which may be difficult to hear. Best to hear it from your friend who will deliver it with compassion and kindness.Just being there for another person no matter what differences.Understanding, patience, forgiveness.Acceptance is the glue between friends.The ability to forgive, and to have a good sense of humor.Two people should care about each other and take care not do anything that will annoy or harm the other person.They should be equals, and treat each other as such.Loyalty means sticking by in good times and bad−even when mistakes happen.Trustworthiness has to be proven over time but once proven, provides the cement that will hold a friendship together for life.Friends being willing to listen, grow, laugh, disagree within the friendship.Love compasses kindness, forgiveness, companionship, giving, happiness, sadness, and giving of oneself.Willingness to find out who each person really is and appreciation of each person for who they are.Compassion with understanding and a willingness to encourage and assist.Humor....good in the good times and salvages the bad times.Be genuine. Don't try to copy others, just be yourself.Listening to each other with genuine attention, for the reason that we all want to matter to someone.A shared passion or mission. It makes for chemistry and the potential for a bond going forward.Consideration, laughter, and a kind heart.Sharing happiness and troubles, sharing 'talking time' so both feel heard, sharing being 'first.'Empathy...friendships can have their ups and downs like any relationship, but it's the ability to forgive and understand when things get rough.Unconditional love and acceptance.It's not always easy to put ourselves into another's journey; however, we must as much as we are able.Helping each other.Attention (focus) honors the person and allows respect and courage to be shared.Trust−along with its mirror image, openness.Unconditional love−but also a sense of humor, a willingness to listen, and a spirit of adventure.A true friend should be there for you through thick and thin.Kindness, respect, empathy.Loyalty−no matter what happens, a friend will stick by your side.Sooner or later, life is hard and it's nice to have someone who can make you feel better when you are feeling sad.