During those times when I have lost hope Essay

I cannot imagine life without Christina. In fact, I cannot remember a time in my life when she was not there with me or for me. More than best friends, we are like sisters. We shop together and we talk about everything and anything. And just like sisters, we too have our own fair share of misunderstandings and arguments but in the end, it is our bond of friendship that makes us kiss and make up. Christina was not my best friend when I was younger. In fact, we did not like each other. She was the type who was always hanging around with the cooler girls in school while I was the one who was always hanging around with the guys. So she was the princess and I was the tomboy. We could hardly look at each other because our crowds were of two completely different worlds. But an unfortunate event happened that made us talk to each other. You see, Christina and I were neighbors. And on that fateful rainy spring day, I got locked out of my house while my parents were out of town for a conference. I had to knock on the door of Christina’s house and her family let me stay until my parents got home. It was then that we realized that we were not really that different from each other. We liked the same movies and the same kind of music. From then on, we started hanging out in school and after school. Christina is a very optimistic person, the complete opposite of how I am. I always see the worse in things while she always saw the sunshine after the rain. During the lowest times of my life, she was there to cheer me up and always reminded me that there is no problem big enough that cannot be solved. She always told me that the problems that come my way are just challenges in life that I must overcome to become a stronger and more mature person. During those times when I have lost hope, her hug or simple pat on the shoulder would make everything alright because she makes me feel that I do not have to go through life alone. It is from Christina that I have learned that there is something good in every person and in every thing. I must admit that I am a very judgmental person but Christina has influenced me to be more open minded about how I perceive the people I meet and the things that I encounter. She would constantly tell me the cliche don’t judge a book by its cover and I would just laugh her off. But then she would remind me of the circumstances on how we started becoming friends. And she’s right that by her appearance alone, I will choose not to be friends with her. But she is also correct that since I took time to get to know her, I learned that her appearance alone does not define her entire being. Now, I am very careful with how I interact with people and that before I dismiss them and not want anything to do with them, I try to talk to them first and get to know a little bit of them to see if we have things in common. Another good thing that I have learned from Christina is how to take a break from school and all the other stressful extra-curricular activities that I have. I come from a very demanding family when it comes to school and my parents do not realize how much pressure they put on me to do well in school. So there are times when I would be awake for days, trying to prepare for an exam or a paper and would miss out on parties and shopping with friends. Christina taught me the importance of balance in life. For one, she is the type of student who can go to a party every weekend and yet still manage to get those A’s in school. She constantly reminds me that rest is important and that there is no use in studying all the time if I would be too tired or weary to take the exams. I have learned that there is a time for everything and that balance is essential to keep myself sane. But by far, the most important thing that Christina has taught me is how to love myself. My insecurities are like little battles for me everyday. When my boyfriend broke up with me for a girl who looked like a supermodel, all my insecurities started to envelope me. I started hating and doubting myself. There came a point when I found nothing good about myself and started wasting my life away. But Christina was there to pick me up and to shake some sense into my head. She, with some other friends, talked to me through some sort of intervention and told me all the good things that they see in me. They pounded in my head that unless and until I start seeing the good in myself, I will never be able to offer what I have to other people; and that if I didn’t believe in myself, then other people will start losing their faith in me as well. It was not easy to bounce back into the life I used to have: the more focused and idealistic me. But I am grateful that Christina was with me every step of the way, helping me collect the pieces of my life and putting them back together, as if completing a puzzle. Differences brought me and Christina together as friends. And it is differences that continue to bind us. I no longer consider Christina as my best friend but as my sister, someone that has shaped my life and continues to shape my life for the better. I just wish that someday I can give back to her everything that she has done for me as my way of saying how grateful I am that she is a part of my life.