Reflections of Friendship

May 31, 2021

Dear Diary,

I’ve been living in Omaha, Nebraska all of my life and I am 10 years old.  10 years is a very long time, it is a decade.  Perhaps I should be scared of getting old because I am already a decade.  Not only am I a decade, but I am also having a pretty rough year at school.  My friends are my friends and then they are not my friends etcetera.

June 1, 2021

Dear Diary,

It is my friend’s birthday at school and I’ve bought her a gift.  I don’t think she invited me to her birthday party because I hit her the other day when she tried to snatch my diary.  Diary, don’t you think I should have hit her, because she had no business nosing around my diary without my permission.  I feel badly about hitting her but I was so angry at what she did.

June 1, 2021

Dear Clara,

Listen to your heart.  You know you should have not hit her, but you did.  Now, what are you going to do about it?  Sometimes when others annoy us or cause us emotional pain, we get angry and lash out by hitting, tripping, or sometimes throwing something.  You should never do any of those things.  Instead, you should count to 10 starting at the number one and tell you friend or sibling about what they did and how it made you feel.  It is not easy at first, but with practice, it becomes easier.

I gazed out the schoolhouse window and thought that Diary might be right.  I love the fall season.  All the beautiful trees turn colors and prepare to lose their leaves.  Okay, diary you win.  I will ask Marlessa for forgiveness.  It’s okay if she doesn’t invite me to her birthday party.  Clara found her friend Marlessa.  Marlessa acted as if Clara wasn’t in the room.  Clara took a deep breath and approached Marlessa.  “Marlessa, can I talk to you for one moment?”  Marlessa looked at her and rolled her eyes and said, “What do you want to talk about Clara?”  She crossed her arms.  “I want to talk about what happened yesterday when you tried to take my diary.”  “Clara, you overreacted, I wasn’t really going to read your diary.”

“Your right, Marlessa, I should not have hit you.  I got angry and reacted badly.”  “I should have told you how you made me feel instead.”   Marlessa took a deep breath and said, “I accept your apology.”  Clara took an even deeper breath and said, “I am so glad that we talked and you accepted my apology.”  Clara and Marlessa did a sort of unfriendly hug and separated.  Clara went one direction and Marlessa went another direction.

June 1, 2021

Dear Diary,

I apologized like you said I should apologize, why didn’t Marlessa want to hang out with me after that?  I was really sincere and brave.  I didn’t even get angry when Marlessa rolled her eyes at me.  Diary I feel like crying.

Signed Clara

Clara cried for 30 minutes. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her nose was running.  After a while she felt better.  Sometimes crying about a problem can make you feel better.

June 2, 2021

Dear Clara,

I am sure that everything will work out and you did the right thing in this matter.  Don’t worry so much.  You made a mistake and you have tried to correct it.  I am proud of you.

Sincerely, Diary

Later that evening a phone call came.  “Clara!” yelled mom, “telephone!” “Okay, Mom, I’m coming!” Clara yelled back.

“Hello.”  “Hi Clara it is Marlessa.”  I was holding my breath waiting for Marlessa to continue speaking. “You know I’m having a party tomorrow.”  “I wrote you out an invitation, but I hadn’t given it to you yet because of our problem.  If you want to come I would be happy.”  “But I would understand, if you did not want to come.”  “No, Marlessa, I would love to come!”  “Thank you for forgiving me.”  I smiled.

“Can’t wait to see you tomorrow Clara, we have so much catching up to do.”  “Me too, Marlessa, Bye.”

June 2, 2021

Dear Diary,

I get to go to Marlessa’s party.  I am so happy, Diary.  I have learned my lesson about using my words instead of hitting.  I can accomplish a whole lot more when communicating when I’m angry. It makes me want to yell Yippee.

Sincerely,

Clara

Clara closed her diary and yelled, “Yippee!”