Friendship
A dictionary contains
a definition of friendship somewhere in the F’s between the words “fear” and
“Friday.” An encyclopedia supplies interesting facts on friendship. But all the
definitions and facts do not convey what friendship is really all about. It
cannot be understood through words or exaggerations. The only way to understand
friendship is through experience, experience that involves all the senses:
sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and something more.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
BODY PARAGRAPHS
First, friendship can
be seen. It is seen in an old couple sitting in the park holding hands. It is
the way they touch, a touch as light as a leaf floating in the autumn air, a
touch so strong that years of living could not pull them apart. Friendship is
seen in a child freely sharing the last cookie. It is the small arm over the
shoulder of another as they walk on the playground. Seeing friendship is not
casual. It is watching for subtlety, but friendship is there for eyes that can
see.
Second, friendship
can be heard. It is heard in the words of two friends who squeezed in lunch
together on an extremely busy day. It is the way they talk to each other, not
the words. Their tone is unique. Friendship can be heard by those willing to
listen.
Next, friendship is
felt in a touch. It is a pat on the back from a teammate, a high five between
classes, the slimy, wet kiss from the family dog. It’s a touch that reassures
that someone is there, someone who cares. The touch communicates more than
words or gestures. It is instantly understood and speaks volumes beyond the
point of contact, to the heart.
Another way
friendship can be described is through taste. It tastes like homemade bread,
the ingredients all measured and planned, then carefully mixed and kneaded,
then the quiet waiting as the dough rises. Hot from the oven, the bread tastes
more than the sum of its ingredients. There is something else there, perhaps
the thoughts of the baker as her hands knead the dough, or her patience as she
waits for the dough to rise. Unseen and unmeasured, this is the ingredient that
makes the difference. Warm, fresh from the oven with a little butter, the
difference you taste is friendship.
Friendship also has a
smell. It smells like the slightly burnt cookies your brother made especially
for you. It smells like your home when stepping into it after being away for a
long time. It smells like a sandbox or a sweaty gym. Friendship has a variety
of smells. Taken for granted at the moment, they define the memory of
friendship.
Finally, more than
the other senses, friendship is an experience of the heart. It is the language
of the heart—a language without words, vowels, or consonants; a language that,
whether seen, felt, heard, or tasted, is understood by the heart. Like air
fills the lungs, friendship fills the heart, allowing us to experience the best
life has to offer: a friend.
Adapted
from http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels/ws2k-friendship.htm
