My family, in terms of my parents and siblings, is very small. I have one brother and no sisters. My brother is autistic, so I felt like an only child really.
I grew up very secluded, so I am not naturally a social person. I’ve had a hard time making and keeping friends as a child growing up.
When I started to work, I met this girl who had taken a liking to me. You see, because I am a very reserved person, a lot of people, especially women, did not like me very much. They said I was “stuck up.”
Anyway, one day this lady came and gave me an apple. Just like that. I did not know who she was or why she gave it to me at the time. She just dropped it on my desk and walked away. I was confused. Anyway, she eventually introduced herself and immediately a friendship was formed. That was about seventeen years ago.
Today Pat and I are still close. During the early days of our friendship other women tried to discourage her from being friendly with me. They told her all sorts of nasty things and at first she would question me about it. After a while, when she realized that they were just being malicious and gossip-y, she stopped listening. Now whenever somebody tries (which is hardly the case now) to tell her something about me, she stops him in his tracks.
According to Pat, some people believe that they are perfect or don’t make mistakes. They delve into other people’s lives because they don’t have one of their own. I am a very quiet person and used to keep to myself a lot. It was something that was misunderstood by a lot of people. They tried to get a lot of information out of her about me, but she kept my personal life to herself.
I try, now that I’m older, to be a lot more outgoing and friendly. I will never be a loud “in your face” type of person, but I try not be as “stuck up” as before. Other people who have gotten to know me said to me that I am not the type of person that other people say I am (or perceive of me, whatever the case).
Pat is the sister I never had. We have remained close friends all these years and some people just don’t understand what it is that has kept us so close, but when a person is genuine, like Pat, keeping a friendship is easy.
Pat is a giving, understanding person. She believes in me and even though we have had misunderstandings, we have learned to put it aside and not ruin our friendship. She tells everyone that I am her sister. Mind you, she already has six other sisters and one brother. But I believe this is why she has taken to me so much, I am just another sister of hers.
In Proverbs 18:24, it states: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
This is true about my friend Patricia. She has certainly been closer to me than a brother and I really appreciate her for it.
Thanks Pat.
