1. God-fearing
2. Intelligent
3. Funny
4. Adventurous

If you have any of these qualities most likely you are my friend. Yes, You!!! Yea, maybe not yet. The truth is most of my friends have one or more of these qualities. Rarely, will I have a friend who doesn’t have these qualities.

#1 Friend is God-fearing because God is very important to me. Together with this friend we can pursue God. Christians friends are a must for every believer. I can discuss with this friend about my relationship with God and my struggles. This friend will encourage me and I will also encourage him or her.

#2 Friend is very intelligent. I love intelligent people because they’re intelligent. In Nigeria, I was very young when I started JS1(Junior School similar to middle school) and the first term I didn’t do so well because I didn’t study like I should. By JS2, we were divided into class A, B and C meaning the A students were in JS1 A, and so on.

I don’t know if things changed prior or after I met one of my best friends in Immaculate Conception.  I really wanted to be friends with her because she had a lot of food in her locker. Immaculate Conception is a girl’s boarding school for junior high and senior high. In our boarding school, we have lockers where we can store our personal food items. Her parents were obviously very rich and I was determined to be her friend. Yes, we became friends. I was very hungry student, so I chose my friends wisely.

My best friend came with double blessings. When we became close, we did everything together. The part, I think made a difference is we studied together. She was in the A class. Now, you know I wasn’t in the A class. I don’t know if studying with her made a difference or not; however, my grades were different. In from JS2-JS3, I made 1st, 2nd or 3rd. I can’t remember a time between JS2-JS3 that I wasn’t at the top of my class. When I was in junior high, students were ranked based on their grades. At JS3 was when I left for the states. The better your grades, the higher your ranking in the class.

Again, I can’t remember precisely if I made the grades before meeting my best friend. I think she made a difference in my studying habits After, I met my best friend, I started hanging out with people in the A class and it made a huge difference.

Yes, this friend is important because he or she challenges me academically.

#3 Friend is funny. I love people with a great sense of humor because I love to laugh.

#4 Friend is adventurous. This friend loves to travel. They work hard and play hard.

Who is your friend? Are they influencing you positively or negatively?