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How could anyone get through school without having at least one true friend? I was fortunate because I had many great people during my school years to help me with things that I just could not get through alone. However, to this day, I have only one friend from my high school years that I consider a friend of a life time.

My friend, Brenda, was there during some of the worst times of my life. I met her during my 10th grade year of high school and to be honest, I wasn't a huge fan during that first meeting. She was bossy, demanding, and tried to control those around her. Of course, she was a teacher. I was not at a point in my life where I wanted someone like that around me. However, as time went on, I realized there was way more to her than what I first thought.

Brenda was highly regarded around our high school. She seemed to connect with teenagers that needed an extra push. Like many teens, I was going through some rebellious times and on top of that, my family was going through some extreme financial hardships. Brenda saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. She started by asking me to babysit for her two children and from there our friendship became one of my best memories of high school.

Brenda's door was always open to me both at school and more importantly at home. If I needed to get away from stresses at my home or just a place to hang out on the weekend, I never had to ask. She included me on many family trips that at the time I could not have afforded otherwise and she made it clear to me that I was important enough to her that she would not go easy on me when I did stupid things. She expected me to be all that I could be and to set good examples for her young children.

Brenda stuck up for me and my family when others talked about our financial troubles and she made sure that I always continued to hold my head high. It was imperative to her that I treated my parents with the respect they deserved. She cared about me as a person and I knew it. To her, I was a friend, not just another kid.

This friendship has continued into my adult life. We don't see each other as much and I don't rely on her to guide me quite like I used to, but I still know she cares. More importantly, I know that her friendship impacted my life more than she could ever imagine possible. I am who I am at least in part because of her friendship. She gave me what I needed most at that point. She gave me a true friend.

Learn more about this author, Karen Meeker.
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