As in the word friendship, a friend is like a ship that carries us, stays with us unfailingly, through the calm and rough seas of life.

Friendship is a social skill that will prove invaluable to children of all abilities throughout their lives.

Friendship is a bond of steadfastness and acceptance that allows us to be who we are, fully, without fear that love will be withdrawn.

Over a lifetime, it is the bond of friendship that allows us to explore our depths with non-judgmental feedback and supportiveness.

Sometimes, the friendship we give is not returned, but we benefit in another way: The process of extending friendship expands our sum of experiences. While giving and in the afterglow, we feel a sense of connection.

Once we experience the connection we feel while giving with care, we know that it is not just what we receive in life that makes us happy. It is mainly the connection that we feel when our own boundaries of self-centeredness break down through our caring acts, that we feel peace and happiness.

The value of friendship, given and received is immeasurable. To be able to talk over life's events and get honest feedback from a friend nurtures progress toward maturity for the child, and enriches the life of the adult.

Friends act and care about each other, as they would act if it were themselves.

And how do we make friends? By first being friendly!

Taking time to lend a helping hand is a good step toward forming friendship. It is not enough to always want someone to be there helping you. Friendship works both ways. Sometimes we are giving and sometimes being helped by a friend. Friendship is a big circle of sharing and caring.

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The entire series is in this book:
Yoga for all Kids - With illustrations and descriptions, how to teach 4 styles of meditation and 15 gentle moving yoga poses that can be used as a basic motor skills lesson plan, plus 12 how to live chapters and a dictionary of 40 definitions of happiness in 83 pages. For kids of all ages and abilities - for teens and adults, too! Available as an Ebook or Print Book


Article by Susan Kramer