on the rocks, hang out, out of one's sight, pick up the pieces, make it, espond to, at a loss, in the wrong, in any case, let go of
My 10-year-old Donna said, "Mom, I made a new friend at school today. Can she come over tomorrow?" Donna was a shy girl and I wanted her to make some friends to bring her out of her shell.
"Sure, honey, that sounds great," I said, thinking back to my own best friend, Lillian. We lived across the street from each other in Washington Heights, New York. We met at the age of 10, too. Like my daughter, I was shy, but Lillian drew me out. She was one of the friendliest people in school, with shiny black hair and a mile-wide smile.
In senior high school, Lillian went on a trip to Florida. This was the first time we had to be away from each other for a few days. "I'll be back soon," she told me. But three days later, Lillian's sister told me that she had fallen into a river and hadn't come out any more. Soon, my family moved to New Jersey. Whenever I thought of her, tears came into my eyes.
The next day Donna brought her new friend home. "Hi, Mrs Loggia, " the little girl said. Her hair was so shiny and black and she shot me a big smile. "My name is Laura."
My daughter's new friend was so much like Lillian. I was still puzzled (迷惑) when Laura's mom came to pick her up later that afternoon. I opened the door to let her in. "Judy!" she cried. "It's me, Lillian's sister, from Washington Heights." Yes, my daughter's friend looked familiar. She was Lillian's niece (侄女).
Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority(优先). Make full use of the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn go unmoved or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can't get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of "heartfelt" intimacy(亲密). Don't be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when they want. Help raise friends' self-esteem when they are shaken by a job loss, or other such events.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, and joining a bowling league.
Don't wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has a fever, go to the store or ask teachers for help.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good family, the friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, dining rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.
Join a club or two. It is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.
I can't remember if I was nine or ten years old. I do remember that it was the last day of the Boy's Camp. It hurt a lot. The day before for some silly reason I had gotten into a fight with another boy.
It didn't take long for the bigger boys to pull us apart and call it a draw, but in truth I had lost. We hadn't talked since the fight either but only looked coldly at each other from across the room.
I knew my Mom was bringing some of her homemade pizzas as a treat for my brother, me, and our friends. Soon I saw her walking up the sidewalk towards the steps of our cabin. She had been bringing these pizzas to us every Boy's Camp for years now. I saw her smile as my brother and his friends all took the big pieces. I thanked her with a smile and started to eat, and then I saw my fight opponent standing off to the side by himself. In that moment something moved in my heart. We talked and laughed and ate. And for some reason unknown to me at the time, the pizza tasted better than ever before.
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A. Still, I was in a good mood this morning. B. Therefore, I felt rather pleased the whole day. C. I had words with my mother over the summer camp. D. I walked over to him and gave him one of the pieces. E. She made sure, though, to save the last two pieces for me. F. I was looking in the mirror and checking my face for bruises. G. My head still hurt from several blows the other boy had landed. |
